Jerald Dean Fowler II

Upshur County District Judge Jerald Dean Fowler II was arrested for driving while intoxicated after crashing his vehicle on September 9, 2022. Fowler later admitted he had "drank a great deal" of alcohol and taken two prescription sleep medications before driving that night; he told investigators he did not recall the crash itself and had only vague recollections of what happened afterward. His insurance company settled with the people injured in the crash for $200,000. Fowler pleaded guilty to DWI in February 2023 and was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication probation. The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued him a public warning on August 16, 2023.