Welcome to Arrest Stories. A DeSoto County Justice Court judge was arrested on DUI charges during a traffic stop in Hernando. Here's what may have happened.
On December sixth, Hernando Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop at approximately five fifty in the evening along West Valley Street. The vehicle pulled over was being driven by Karen Sanders, who serves as a Justice Court judge for DeSoto County District Five, representing the southern portion of the county.
According to court documents, Sanders appeared to be under the influence of alcohol during the traffic stop. Body camera footage reportedly captured the incident as it unfolded. When Sanders exited her vehicle, she struggled to walk and would lean on the patrol car instead of standing upright on her own.
Officers took Sanders into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and careless driving. Sanders submitted to a blood-alcohol test during the arrest process. She was subsequently transported to and booked into the DeSoto County Jail.
Following her arrest, a Hernando judge released Sanders from the DeSoto County Jail on her own recognizance, meaning she was released without having to post bail but with the promise to appear for future court proceedings.
Sanders has been issued a court date of April first, twenty twenty-six, where she will face the charges stemming from this December sixth arrest. The charges include driving under the influence and careless driving, both serious allegations for any citizen but particularly notable given Sanders' position as a sitting judge in the county's justice system.
The arrest took place in Hernando, Mississippi, where Sanders was stopped during what appears to have been a routine traffic enforcement action that escalated when officers suspected impairment.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.