On Monday, June 8, 2026, The Detroit News reported that U.S. District Judge Thomas Ludington appeared in a northern Michigan courtroom to plead not guilty to probation violations.
The arraignment, held in front of 90th District Judge Angela Lasher in Petoskey, stemmed from allegations that Ludington failed to submit to twice-weekly alcohol and drug tests as required by his probation, which followed a drunk driving conviction.
Ludington’s attorney, Jonathan Steffy, entered the plea during a brief hearing. Ludington appeared virtually alongside his lawyer. The specific allegations indicated that Ludington missed these mandatory tests during the first week of his probation, from May 13-20. A follow-up hearing on the probation violation has been scheduled for June 22.
The alleged violations surfaced last month, a period marked by Ludington’s efforts to return to the federal bench following a scandal that raised questions about his alcohol consumption while on duty. Ludington, 72, took voluntary paid leave from his $249,900-a-year lifetime appointment in February after The Detroit News published details of his arrest.
Nominated by President George W. Bush in 2006, Ludington’s return to the federal bench in Bay City is not imminent, as he is currently under investigation by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. This probe was initiated by a misconduct complaint filed by a judicial watchdog group.
Sources close to the case, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that Ludington had been compliant with probation requirements but encountered difficulties in locating an approved testing facility near his home in Midland County. The testing facility and its protocols had not been finalized during the initial week of his probation, contributing to what is being described as a technical violation.
This probation violation hearing occurred less than a month after Ludington was sentenced to six months of probation for an incident on October 3rd. In that event, he crashed into two signs along a curved road in Springvale Township, near his vacation home east of Petoskey. At the time of the crash, Ludington was accused of being legally “super drunk,” with a registered blood-alcohol level of 0.27%, more than three times the legal limit of 0.08%. Despite the arrest, Ludington continued to hear cases for four months until The Detroit News brought the incident to light.
Ludington had previously pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated, leading to the dismissal of a more serious “super drunk” charge.
Legal experts noted that many state court judges consider missed alcohol and drug screenings as positive tests. Judges possess considerable discretion when determining penalties for probation violations, and Ludington had the option to contest the allegations or admit to violating his probation. Potential repercussions could have included an extended probation period or jail time.
In the drunk driving case, Ludington faced a maximum of 93 days in jail after pleading no contest, a plea treated similarly to a guilty plea for sentencing purposes in Michigan. The state defines a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or higher as illegal, and 0.17% or higher as “super drunk.” Ludington has maintained that he did not consume alcohol on October 3rd, despite failing multiple field sobriety tests. He has questioned how alcohol entered his system and suggested he may have been drugged.
Records and body camera footage obtained by The Detroit News also revealed that Ludington appeared to have urinated on himself during the incident and was accused of repeatedly lying to state troopers about his alcohol consumption. During one sobriety test, when asked to recite part of the alphabet, Ludington responded with “A, B, C, D, E, F, U.”
Source: The Detroit News
