A Sarasota judge has been reassigned after being cited for careless driving and failing to provide information following a car crash last month.
Judge Thomas Krug, who serves on the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, has been temporarily reassigned from the felony criminal division after he was cited for allegedly sideswiping another vehicle and leaving the crash scene in August. Krug has pleaded not guilty to failing to provide information after a crash.
Donna Rhodes, public information officer for the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, said that Krug continues to serve as a judge during the active court case. However, she added that Chief Judge Diana L. Moreland, of Sarasota, temporarily reassigned Krug to the family division.
"Judge Krug has continued to
perform his judicial duties," Rhodes told the Herald-Tribune in an email.
Rhodes added that Moreland also asked the Florida Supreme Court to assign all pending matters involving Krug outside the 12th Judicial Circuit. The request was granted. Krug’s case was assigned to Judge Turner A. Rouse of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court, according to court documents.
Krug is being represented by Daniel Haenel of The Law Place. On Sept. 2, Haenel entered a not-guilty plea on Krug’s behalf and requested a jury trial, according to court records. Neither Krug nor his counsel responded to a request for comment.
What did Sarasota Judge Thomas Krug do?
A report from the Sarasota Police Department said Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug hit another vehicle while driving on Fruitville Road on Tuesday morning, Aug. 25. The crash occurred near Tuttle Road, and a witness told police that a blue BMW struck a black Kia Forte and immediately drove away, according to the report.
After police identified him using video footage from a local business and a witness's dash camera, Krug told law enforcement that he did not realize he had struck a vehicle while attempting to merge into another lane and had "not even checked his car for damage," according to the crash report. Krug was reportedly on his way to work at the time of the crash.
However, an officer reviewing the case said that "both vehicles appear to rock side to side from the crash" in the obtained footage. Investigators also observed damage to the passenger side fender of Krug’s BMW that was consistent with the damage on the Kia Forte.
Krug was cited for "careless driving: same direction sideswipe crash" and "failure to provide information at crash (more than $50 of damage)." No injuries were reported in the crash, according to the crash report, but leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500 under Florida Statute 316.061.
Police closed the investigation pending any new information. The court cases remain active but have been transferred outside the 12th Judicial Circuit.
Kendal Asbury is the real estate and development reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Have an idea, tip or question about development? Send her an email at kasbury@usatodayco.com. Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram @wordsbykendal, and support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota judge reassigned after leaving-crash-scene allegations
