County Judge Arrested on Marijuana Charge

County judge arrested on marijuana charge
The Seguin Gazette by Bob Thaxton  -  February 9, 2012

COLLEGE STATION, TX - Guadalupe County Judge Mike Wiggins was arrested Monday night at a College Station hotel and jailed on a charge of possession of marijuana, less than 2 ounces.  Rhonda Seaton, public information officer for the College Station Police Department, said an officer was dispatched at 11:15 p.m. Monday to the Hilton Hotel, 801 University Drive East, in response to a call about the possibility of someone having marijuana at the hotel. The police officer was met by a hotel security officer who said a bellman had reported the odor of marijuana on the fifth floor of the hotel.  The bellman and the police officer went up to the fifth floor and soon located a hotel room where the odor seemed to be coming from.  After the bellman knocked, the door was opened by a man later identified as Wiggins.  After doing a "protective sweep" of the hotel room, the police officer asked if there was marijuana in the room, and Wiggins pointed to a duffel bag. The officer asked if he could check the contents of the duffel bag, and according to the department's report, Wiggins consented to the officer's search of the duffel bag.  The officer said the bag's contents included a silver grinder, rolling papers and a plastic bag containing 20.1 grams of marijuana.  According to the officer, Wiggins confirmed it was marijuana and admitted it was his.  Wiggins was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana, less than 2 ounces, and transported to the College Station Police Department where he was booked into the department's holding facility.  Seaton said all of the prisoners in the department's holding facility later were transported to the Brazos County Jail in Bryan. Magistrated on Tuesday, Wiggins was released after posting $3,000 bond.  Wiggins was attending the V.G. Young Institute: School for County Commissioners Courts scheduled Feb. 7-9 at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in College Station.  "There's nothing I can deny. It is what it is," Wiggins, a former DPS sergeant, said when contacted Thursday afternoon. He said he planned to be in his office Friday morning and would discuss the situation further at that time.  Possession of marijuana, less than 2 ounces, is a Class B misdemeanor punishable upon conviction by confinement for up to 180 days in the county jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Precinct 2 Commissioner Kyle Kutscher is the current county judge pro tem who presides at commissioners court when the county judge is absent.  "I don't know how all this is going to play out," Kutscher said Thursday afternoon, noting that he had heard about the arrest of Wiggins only about 30 minutes before being contacted by the newspaper. "I will wait and hold judgment until I talk to the judge," Precinct 3 Commissioner Jim Wolverton said. Wiggins was re-elected in 2010 to a second term as Guadalupe County judge.