Guadalupe County Judge Michael Thomas Wiggins was arrested Monday at a Hilton Hotel on the charge of possessing marijuana. The judge admitted his guilt.
The Texas judge, 58, was visiting the hotel on a seminar for county commissioners and county judges in College Station. A bellman noticed the smell of burnt marijuana on Monday night, and isolated the source to a room on the fifth floor. When an officer arrived to investigate, Wiggins was cooperative, pointing to his duffel when the officer asked if there was any marijuana in the room, and permitting him to search the duffel, where the officer discovered a silver grinder, rolling paper, and a plastic bag containing 20.1 grams of marijuana. Because it is less than two ounces, Wiggins was charged with a Class B misdemeanor, facing up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $2,000 dollars. Wiggins did not deny the allegations, but told the press: “There’s nothing I can deny, it is what it is.”
Wiggins has served as Guadalupe county judge since 2007, and before that, he has served as a Department of Public Safety sergeant for a total of 30 years.
Some have called for his resignation, including one anonymous citizen of his hometown, a middle aged man who said, “I think he should resign. It’s the integrity principle. If you don’t like the law, get it changed.”
Other responses are mixed, and he himself has not responded to interview requests. Charles Koehler, a contractor waiting to see Wiggins at his county office said, “He’s always been good, the best county judge we’ve had, and I’ve seen a lot of them. He’s as good as ever.”
Wiggins made a statement Friday that, “At this time, I am working to resolve the issues in Brazos County. Upon completion, I will provide a full public disclosure of the events that have transpired.”