Benton County judge arrested for DUI

RICHLAND — A Benton County judge was arrested for allegedly driving drunk when he crashed his car near his Badger Canyon home.

The Tri-City Herald reports 55-year-old Terry Tanner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a gross misdemeanor DUI charge in Benton County District Court.

Court documents show that emergency dispatchers were called at 11:18 p.m. Tuesday about a crashed Cadillac with a driver sleeping behind the wheel.

Documents say Benton County sheriff’s deputies found Tanner about 300 feet away from the sedan.

A deputy wrote that Tanner said he had been driving the Cadillac after drinking at a Kennewick restaurant.

A search warrant was granted to draw Tanner’s blood, which will be sent to a state lab to determine his blood-alcohol level at the time.

Tanner was released on his personal recognizance. It’s unclear if he will be back on the bench this week.