Winnipeg judge Michel Chartier charged with drunk driving

A Winnipeg judge has been placed on administrative leave after being charged with impaired driving.

Judge Michel Chartier has been charged with impaired driving and driving with a blood alcohol level over .08.

According to officials with the Provincial Court of Manitoba, Chartier was charged by Carberry RCMP on Sunday and placed on administrative leave.

An RCMP spokesperson said Chartier was stopped on Highway 1 about five kilometres west of Highway 5 in the R.M. of North Cypress at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

He was released on a promise to appear in a Brandon courtroom later this month.

Melody Bodnarchuk is the president of the Winnipeg chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and said she was very disappointed to hear about the charges.

"Somebody in a provincial judge's position is held to a higher standard. It is very disappointing," Bodnarchuk.

Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD Canada, echoes the same concerns as his Manitoba counterpart and added the case should be heard by a judge outside of Manitoba.

"Usually in cases like this they bring somebody from out of province to oversee and make sure there is a clear separation between their profession and the charges before the court," Murie said.

Chartier, a bilingual judge, was called to the bar in Manitoba in 1991, and in 2007, he was appointed a judge of the provincial court.

From 2009 to 2013, Chartier served as the associate chief judge of the provincial court.