Reviewer: Judge Interfered In Intern's Drunk Driving Case

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) - An official has upheld a Judicial Tenure Commission findings that a Washtenaw County judge interfered with an investigation of his intern's drunken driving arrest and gave false statements about it, but he says the actions don't add up to misconduct in office.

Retired Ingham County Judge Peter Houk issued the report Tuesday in the probe of District Judge J. Cedric Simpson.

Houk upholds commission Executive Director Paul J. Fisher's conclusions about Simpson's actions involving Crystal Vargas's Sept. 8, 2013, crash in Pittsfield Township.

Houk says he agrees Simpson falsely denied a personal relationship with Vargas and says the judge's explanation of 10,000 calls and texts with Vargas "is simply not credible."

Vargas pleaded guilty to impaired driving.

The report goes to the Michigan Supreme Court.

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