UNION, W.Va. — Monroe County Sheriff Jeff Jones was arrested this week on a drunk driving charge.
Jones was charged with DUI after a single vehicle wreck Thursday night near the intersection of U.S. Route 219 and Greenville Road.
According to a criminal complaint, a state police trooper was dispatched to the scene after the 8:45 p.m. wreck. It was raining so Jones was not given field sobriety tests at the scene. He later failed the tests conducted in Union. He took a breathalyzer that registered a .118 above the legal limit of .08.
Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Justin St. Clair released a statement Friday saying he was recusing his office from prosecuting the case.
“My office works closely with Sheriff Jones and the deputies who work for him. given these circumstance I intend to recuse myself from Sheriff Jones’ case to avoid any appearance of favoritism or leniency.”
The West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute typically recommends a special prosecutor for recusal cases.
Jones, a Republican, was elected to a four-year term in November 2020 after incumbent Sheriff Ken Hedrick opted not to run again.