Montgomery Co. Judge Mark Keough turns himself in for DWI charge

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, who has been charged with DWI after being involved in a crash, is now in jail, officials say.

In an update issued by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, a warrant for Keough's arrest was issued on Tuesday. The judge turned himself in Wednesday morning.

The charge stems from an accident that happened just before 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 10. Keough was behind the wheel when his SUV sideswiped another driver, and then rear-ended a deputy constable's patrol vehicle, according to court documents.

He reportedly had amphetamines and Ambien in his blood stream at the time of the crash.

In a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday, the judge responded to the charge and said the substance found in his system was a legally prescribed sleeping aid from the night before.

"I want to make it abundantly clear to you that there was no alcohol present, there were no illegal substances present at the time of the crash," the judge said in the video. "According to information that I've received, the sleep aid in my blood was within normal, therapeutic levels, and I assure you it was taken according to my physician's orders."

The judge's first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan 5.

"As President Theodore Roosevelt stated, 'No man is above the law, and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it,'" said Montgomery County District Attorney Michael Holley in a written statement.

At the time of the crash, Keough's staff said he was "stable and alert and understandably in pain." He underwent surgery to repair a pelvic injury. The deputy constable was treated by medical personnel and was released later that same day.

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