Judge charged with dui after crash into snowbank — Yellow law enforcement tape isolating crime scene. Blurred view of city, toned in red and blue police car lights

Owatonna, MN – An appeals court judge faces two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated following a crash. Renee Lee Worke, a Minnesota Court of Appeals judge, reportedly crashed into a snowbank while her blood-alcohol content registered at 0.16, twice the legal limit.

Deputies from the Steele County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident on Highway 14 near the Interstate 35 overpass Wednesday night around 9 p.m. Upon arrival, a deputy observed Worke exhibiting glassy eyes and slurred speech.

She claimed to have consumed one glass of wine two hours earlier at a friend’s house. The deputy noted her slow motor function and unsteadiness on her feet; she required assistance walking back to the squad car after the crash.

Worke submitted to a breathalyzer test, which indicated a blood-alcohol content of 0.16. She was then taken into custody at the Steele County Jail, from which she has since been released on bond.

Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Worke to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2005. She has been re-elected multiple times, and her current term is set to end in 2031. Prior to her appellate appointment, Worke served as a district judge for nearly a decade.

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