Former St. Joseph County prosecutor pleads guilty to driving while visibly impaired

Following an incident last year in Lockport Township, former St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough has pleaded guilty to driving while visibly impaired and was sentenced to one year probation.

McDonough appeared last Thursday before Judge Vincent Westra in Kalamazoo County 8th District Court.

McDonough was previously charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and having open intoxicants inside a motor vehicle. Those charges have been dropped due to McDonough’s plea.

The original charges stem from a May 11 incident in Lockport Township where McDonough allegedly crossed the centerline, veered off the roadway and crashed into a fence. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and conducted the investigation. The results of a breath test for McDonough’s blood alcohol content conducted at the time of the incident were .06 and .07 percent.

The fair and unbiased prosecution of crimes committed by elected and other public officials remains a top priority for Nessel, who has made public integrity a focus throughout her term as Attorney General. McDonough’s case is just one of several involving public officials and members of law enforcement that Nessel’s office has prosecuted due to requests from other agencies and prosecutors to avoid conflicts of interest.