Guadalupe County judge faces pot charge

Guadalupe County Judge Michael Thomas Wiggins Wiggins, 58, was charged with possession of marijuana less than 2 ounces and released from the Brazos County Jail on $3,000 bail, according to county records and College Station Police Department spokeswoman Officer Rhonda Seaton. less Guadalupe County Judge Michael Thomas Wiggins Wiggins, 58, was charged with possession of marijuana less than 2 ounces and released from the Brazos County Jail on $3,000 bail, according to county records and ... more Photo: Courtesy Photo Photo: Courtesy Photo Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Guadalupe County judge faces pot charge 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Whiffs of burning marijuana in a College Station hotel led to the arrest this week of Guadalupe County Judge Michael T. Wiggins, who was there attending a conference for county officials.

Wiggins, a former state trooper, was charged with possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana after being found with pot and admitting he'd been smoking, said College Station Police Department spokeswoman Officer Rhonda Seaton on Thursday.

Wiggins, 58, was released from Brazos County Jail on $3,000 bail and reportedly attended the two-day seminar that began Tuesday.

News of Wiggins' arrest only reached most Guadalupe County officials in Seguin on Thursday afternoon, leaving many stunned.

“It's pretty much shocked everybody. That's the only way to describe it,” said one county official who asked not to be named.

A bellman called police about 11 p.m. Monday evening after detecting the smell of burning marijuana on the fifth floor hallway of the Hilton College Station, said Seaton.

She said the responding officer traced the smell to one room, the bellman knocked, and “an overwhelming odor of marijuana” wafted out when Wiggins opened the door.

Wiggins, alone in the room, was cooperative, identified himself and admitted he had been smoking marijuana, Seaton said.

She said a baggie of marijuana, a grinder and rolling papers were found in Wiggins' duffle bag.

Wiggins couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

A story in the Seguin Gazette quoted him as not denying the alleged drug possession and remarking, “It is what it is.”

The arrest could hold implications for Wiggins' duties since, in addition to being the county's chief administrator, he sometimes magistrates criminal defendants and holds juvenile detention hearings.

Precinct 2 Commissioner and County Judge Pro-Tem Kyle Kutscher, shocked to learn of the arrest, said he was told Wiggins was going to speak publicly today.

Wiggins, who is in his second term as county judge, previously worked 30 years for the state, including 14 years with the Department of Public Safety, where he was a sergeant stationed in Guadalupe County, the website said.

mmondo@express-news.net