Left: Renee Lee Worke after her alleged drunk driving arrest (Steele County Jail). Right: Worke”s portrait for the Minnesota Court of Appeals (Minnesota courts).
Renee Lee Worke, who has served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals for nearly twenty years, is now facing two charges of driving under the influence. According to court documents, local news outlets ABC affiliate KSTP and Fox affiliate KMSP reported that deputies from the Steele County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident shortly after 9 p.m. on November 29. The crash occurred on Highway 14 near the Interstate 35 overpass in Owatonna, approximately 65 miles south of Minneapolis.
Upon arriving at the scene, a deputy observed that Worke had glassy eyes and slurred speech, according to the affidavit. She claimed she had been at a friend’s house and consumed one glass of wine about two hours before the incident.
“I’m totally fine,” she reportedly assured the deputy when asked about her condition.
Officers noted that, in addition to her slurred speech and glassy eyes, Worke exhibited slow movements and appeared unsteady. She required assistance to walk to the squad car. Fortunately, she did not sustain any injuries from the crash.
In addition to her slurred speech and glassy eyes, cops allege she also had a “slow motor function” and was unsteady on her feet. She reportedly needed help walking back to the squad car. She did not suffer any injuries in the car accident.
Worke submitted to a breathalyzer and she blew a 0.16 — twice the legal limit of 0.08.
The judge was taken to the Steele County Jail where she has since bonded out.
According to the Minnesota Law Library, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed Worke to the state Court of Appeals in the First Congressional District back in 2005. She was subsequently elected in 2012, 2018 and again last year. Her current term ends in 2031. Before her appellate appointment, she was a district judge for nearly a decade.
