When she was pulled over for speeding and littering, then blew over the legal limit for drunken driving on a cop’s breath tester, things looked dire for a lawyer seeking a judgeship on the Oakland County Circuit.

But Wednesday, the charge of operating while intoxicated was dismissed against Julie McDonald of Bloomfield Hills. Instead, McDonald pleaded guilty in Royal Oak’s 44th District Court to littering — and admitted responsibility to the civil infraction of careless driving.

McDonald admitted to Judge Jamie Wittenberg that she’d tossed a cigarette out her car window prior to being pulled over at 10:44 a.m. on Sept. 8 on Woodward Avenue near 11 Mile in Royal Oak.

Wittenberg said McDonald must pay a $245 fine and be sentenced December 13 — well after the November election.

More:Video shows Oakland County judge candidate's drunken driving arrest

At her arrest, McDonald acted and looked intoxicated, according to the police report.

An officer at the scene tested her breath with a result of .10 — over Michigan’s .08 threshold for drunken driving. But roadside breath tests are inadmissible in court, and McDonald scored .08 at the police station, Royal Oak City Attorney Dave Gillam said.

McDonald’s case was treated like any other, without taking into account her campaign for the judgeship, Gillam said after the hearing.

“We make decisions based on what the facts are, (not) on what a person’s job is, or what it might be,” Gillam said.

“Given the fact that alcohol was involved, that’s certainly going to be part of our presentencing report,” he said.

Gillam added that both he and McDonald's defense attorney were obligated to report the results of Wednesday's court hearing to the State Bar of Michigan, which rules on whether lawyers' behavior justifies having their licenses suspended or revoked. No one can be a judge without having a license to practice law, Gillam said.

At the time of McDonald's arrest, the State Court Administrative Office planned to monitor the case, said John Nevin, a spokesman for the Michigan Supreme Court. Nevin said the Code of Judicial Conduct requires judges and candidates to "respect and observe the law."

McDonald would not speak to reporters, her lawyer Larry Sherman said after Wednesday's hearing.

Instead, he read a statement: “My client sincerely regrets her actions....As a candidate for public office, she has an obligation to set a higher standard. She recognizes that responsibility and is committed to achieving it.”

McDonald clearly regretted her actions at the time of arrest too. While handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser, she asked the officer whether she'd be going to jail.

“I’m running for an office right now. This will (expletive) me up really bad.” McDonald told Officer Brian Kucel.

“If you had your kids in the car would you be driving right now?” Kucel asked her, on video captured by a dash camera. She replied: “No.’”

Kurcel smelled “alcoholic intoxicants” inside the SUV and said McDonald's eyes were "watery and bloodshot," his report said. McDonald admitted she'd downed four vodka-and-soda mixed drinks the night before her midmorning arrest, police said. Kurcel's report also said McDonald could not maintain her balance in roadside sobriety tests.

McDonald is running unopposed in next month's election for a six-year seat on the Oakland County Circuit bench.

Her name is the only one that will appear on countywide ballots in November’s election to fill a new seat on the Oakland County Circuit Court, according to county election officials.

She had been running unopposed. Since her arrest, however, the county clerk has registered four other lawyers running as write-in candidates: Edward Nahhat, 57, of Royal Oak; Michael Blau, 63, of Farmington; Maryann Bruder, 44, of Huntington Woods; and Corinne Schoop, 58, of Southfield.

Write-in candidates historically face an uphill battle in elections. Still, they do sometimes win. Examples include Detroit Mayor Michael Duggan and Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett. The four have launched low-key, low-cost campaigns with yard signs and social media.

Nahhat said mounting a last-minute write-in challenge is difficult against a county-wide opponent with big name recognition. McDonald's father was a longtime circuit judge in Oakland County.

"I certainly would not have gone up against the McDonald name before this happened. Now, here you have someone running who is unopposed (on ballots) and it's really the wrong time for her," Nahhat said.

Contact: blaitner@freepress.com