East Central Reporter

After reviewing a video recording of Judge Sullivan's recent DUI arrest, questions have emerged regarding the accuracy of statements attributed to him in the official police report. The Charleston Police Department’s report, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, states that Officer Temple heard Judge Sullivan say, “I’m a judge with the circuit. I’m just hoping to get off.”

However, after multiple reviews and audio enhancements of the video clip from the incident, Edgar County Watchdogs concluded that Judge Sullivan actually said, “I’m a Judge in the circuit. I’m just hoping to get home.” The organization emphasized that the word "home" rather than "off" changes how people might interpret his intent during the encounter.

“We do not know what was happening on the ground at the time, and Officer Temple could have believed she heard him say ‘off’ instead of ‘home’ – but we were not there and cannot opine on what she believed she heard,” Edgar County Watchdogs stated.

The group also livestreamed their process as they captured and reviewed the provided video so viewers could watch it in real time.

They noted that throughout his interaction with law enforcement during the arrest process, Judge Sullivan remained cordial toward officers.