Springfield officer will not lose driver’s license in OVI-related case

Springfield Police Division Officer Joseph “Joey” Robinson will keep his driver’s license and his driving privileges in what was originally an OVI case.

Prior to his sentencing on Friday, Robinson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of having physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, which is a lesser charge than an OVI.

He also had to attend a driver’s intervention program, which is a three-day lockdown program and is designed to assess the level of a person’s alcohol issues.

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Based on the positive feedback from that program — Robinson was sentenced to six months of probation, which includes several alcohol dependency assessments.

The prosecution asked Judge Stephen Schumaker to also revoke Robinson’s driver’s license or his driving privileges for a period of time — but that was not part of the sentence that was handed down.

“You have a tremendous future ahead of you in law enforcement. From all accounts, everyone seems to be in agreement with that, sir,” said Schumaker. “But you also carry a very heavy responsibility.”

If Robinson violates his probation, he could go to jail for up to 27 days.

Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf said in an email to the Springfield News-Sun that the police department will be conducting their own internal investigation now that the court case has wrapped up.

“Once the investigation is completed, a determination will be made as to what corrective actions should be taken,” Graf said.

Robinson was originally charged with two counts of OVI and one count of failure to stop at a traffic control device stemming from an incident in August.

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On Aug. 25, a Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a gray-colored vehicle fail to stop at a traffic light at the intersection of North Street and Fountain Avenue, according to an affidavit filed with the case.

The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Robinson appeared to be intoxicated, according to an affidavit in support of the charges — but Robinson refused to take a breathalyzer test or answer the deputy’s questions.

Typically, refusing to undergo a breathalyzer test leads to a driver’s license suspension, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol — but the judge waited until sentencing before deciding whether to suspend Robinson’s license.

Robinson has been with Springfield police for 10 years.

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