Indiana Rep. Jim Lucas pleads guilty to OWI after crash, avoids jail as part of plea deal
Indiana state Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, will avoid jail time after a judge sentenced him Monday for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crash Lucas caused less than two weeks ago, according to local media.
Lucas, who represents House District 69, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on the early morning of May 31, according to police. He faced preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing endangerment, leaving the scene of a crash and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, booking records from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office show.
More: Indiana Rep. Jim Lucas jailed on OWI, leaving scene charges after early morning crash
On Monday afternoon, Lucas was sentenced to 60 days in jail for OWI and 180 days for leaving the scene of an accident — time the representative will not serve as part of a plea deal, according to TV station WTHR. As part of his sentence, Lucas will have his license suspended for 60 days and will have to enter an alcohol and drug abuse program.
Lucas also will have to pay roughly $4,000 in restitution to the Indiana Department of Transportation for damage caused to a guardrail during the accident.
"I owe everybody an apology," Lucas said Monday on WIBC's The Hammer and Nigel Show. "This is something I should not have done." Lucas later said on the radio program that he had no plans to resign from office.
Mark Dove, a defense attorney who represented Lucas in court Monday, told IndyStar that Lucas felt contrite about his behavior.
"(Lucas) was anxious to resolve this matter as quickly as possible, acknowledge his mistakes, pay his debt to society and get on with his life, which of course, includes the representation of his constituents," Dove said. "I think it's a very small percentage of adult society today who can't say, 'There but for the grace of God go I.'"
Lucas was arrested after crashing his vehicle at State Road 11 and Interstate 65 just north of Seymour around midnight, according to the Indiana State Police.
He left the crash scene in his vehicle. The vehicle was then found by the Seymour Police Department a short time later at a different location and Lucas was found nearby, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of ISP. Lucas was arrested by a trooper from ISP's Versailles Post.
Lucas' bond was set at $705, jail records show.
Twelve days from the time of his arrest, misdemeanor charges were officially filed Monday in Jackson County against Lucas, who was in court later that same day to plead guilty. The swift timeline was nothing unusual, according to Dove.
"I've represented hundreds of people in these types of cases, and it can be anywhere from a week to six months from the time of the arrest to the time of the charges," Dove said. "(Lucas) didn't receive any kind of leniency nor was he treated any worse than someone who didn't hold an elected position."
Lucas, who lives in Seymour, was first elected to House District 69 in 2012 and previously served on the Seymour City Council, according to his biography.
The representative’s district includes portions of Bartholomew, Jackson, Washington and Scott counties.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Rep. Jim Lucas pleads guilty, avoids jail as part of plea deal
