Michael V. Sovis
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Michael V. Sovis was a First District Court judge in Dakota County, Minnesota. He was appointed to this position on June 1, 1988, by Governor Rudy Perpich and was later retained in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008.[1] He retired from the bench after pleading guilty to two counts of third-degree drunken driving.[2]
Noteworthy events
Sovis arrested, charged with DWI (2012)
Sovis was arrested on Christmas Eve in 2012. According to court documents, witnesses saw a black SUV, later found to be driven by Sovis, hit a parked vehicle, make a U-turn and then hit another parked vehicle before crashing into a snowbank.[3]
Sovis told officers he consumed six drinks which contained vodka before getting behind the wheel. An officer at the scene reported having to hold Sovis up so he would not fall down. A breath test measured Sovis' blood alcohol at 0.28 percent, more than three times the legal limit in Minnesota.[3]
Sovis pleaded guilty and requested medical disability retirement
Sovis entered a plea of guilty in Ramsey County District Court to two counts of third-degree drunk driving. He was sentenced to two years of probation, with two days credit for time served. His sentence also required him to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and refrain using alcohol and nonprescription drugs. He was also required to undergo random drug testing.[2]
His attorney, David L. Ayers, read a letter in court that Sovis wrote to Governor Mark Dayton requesting a medical disability retirement. At the time of the incident, Sovis was 64. With a medical disability retirement, Sovis would collect a year of regular pay before he was eligible to begin receiving his pension at age 65. Judges in Minnesota must retire by age 70.[2]
Sovis' attorney, Ayers, said in a statement,
| “ | I think it’s important to know that this incident is totally inconsistent with Judge Sovis' character. . . He’s a very honorable man who has been humiliated by this incident, but he also knows, of course, that he has no one to blame but himself.[2][4] | ” |
Ayers noted Sovis also received treatment in a 33-day inpatient drug program.[2]
Education
Sovis received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota in 1971 and 1972, respectively. He received his J.D. degree in 1975 from the Hamline University School of Law/Midwestern School of Law.[1]
Career
- 1988-2013: Judge, First District Court
- 1982-1988: Adjunct professor, Hamline University
- 1975-1988: Attorney, Private, practice[1]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Official biography of Judge Sovis
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 StarTribune, "Dakota County judge pleads guilty to DWI, asks to retire," May 23, 2013 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "plea" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dakota County judge charged with gross-misdemeanor DWI," January 20, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Minnesota • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Minnesota
State courts:
Minnesota Supreme Court • Minnesota Court of Appeals • Minnesota District Courts • Minnesota Problem-Solving Courts • Minnesota Tax Court • Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
State resources:
Courts in Minnesota • Minnesota judicial elections • Judicial selection in Minnesota
