A former district judge for Bucks County, who is also a convicted felon, is facing new criminal charges for driving while impaired only two weeks following his release from federal prison. The judicial case against John Waltman, 66, has been reopened by the U.S. Eastern District Court, but currently, the U.S. Probation Office is not pressing for a violation proceeding, according to court documentation.
The Chief U.S. Probation Officer, Jana Law, had expressed concern in a petition over Waltman’s DUI arrest shortly after his release from custody. The former judge hadn’t responded to an email from the news organization seeking comment. His attorney, Lou Buscio, conveyed that Waltman had found it challenging to reintegrate into society after his jail term.
Waltman concluded a five-year stint in federal prison out of a total sentence of 6 and ½ years on Jan. 31. In 2019, Waltman pleaded guilty to money laundering, bribe acceptance, extorting during his tenure as the Lower Southampton district judge, a post he held from 2010 to 2016 until he was arrested.
After serving his jail term, Waltman was under supervised release, where he had to abide by court-imposed stipulations for two years. This includes not engaging in criminal activities. However, two weeks after his release, police accused him of impaired driving after he was spotted driving irregularly on West Bristol Road around 2 a.m. on Feb. 14. Waltman was charged with misdemeanor DUI and traffic offenses after a blood test showed an alcohol level twice the legal limit for driving.
In light of Waltman’s arrest, the U.S. Probation Office successfully petitioned for the court to impose additional conditions on him such as staying away from alcohol, undergoing alcohol testing, and participating in a treatment program.
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