Indiana Sen. Mike Bohacek pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge under a plea agreement approved Wednesday by a LaPorte County judge.
Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, admitted to operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent of .15 or more, a Class A misdemeanor, according to the agreement obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges filed against him and the case is now closed.
Bohacek did not reply to the Capital Chronicle’s request for comment about the plea deal.
The state senator was initially charged with three counts: operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent of .15 or more, a Class A misdemeanor; operating a vehicle while intoxicated in a manner that endangered a person, also a Class A misdemeanor; and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor.
The deal calls for Bohacek to pay $110.50 in fines, $189.50 in court costs, and $200 for countermeasure fees. He was also ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and participate in therapy through the LaPorte County Alcohol and Drug Services program, known as LADS.
Although special Judge Jeffrey L. Thode of the Superior Court in neighboring Porter County imposed a 365-day jail sentence it was fully suspended. Bohacek will instead serve 365 days of informal probation, per the plea agreement.
The judge also issued a 20-day license suspension.
While charges were pending, Bohacek was allowed to keep driving so long as he used an alcohol-monitoring device in his car.
The underlying charges, filed May 15, stemmed from a Jan. 24 incident in Michigan City, after a citizen reported seeing Bohacek “drinking an open container and stumble out of his vehicle” in a Panda Express parking lot, according to charging documents obtained by the Capital Chronicle.
Police later located and pulled him over near Swan Lake Cemetery along U.S. 20. He was taken to a hospital, where a blood test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.28% — more than three times the legal limit in Indiana.
But Bohacek wasn’t arrested at the time. Under Indiana law, members of the General Assembly are shielded from arrest in most cases during the legislative session — a protection known as legislative immunity.
That meant Bohacek’s case was kept sealed and the senator remained uncharged for months.
The incident did not become public until June, when reporters began asking for details.
In the weeks and months following his arrest, Bohacek continued to attend legislative meetings at the Indiana Statehouse.
Bohacek, who represents portions of LaPorte, St. Joseph and Starke counties, has served in the Indiana Senate since 2016. He most recently served on the Corrections and Criminal Law, Health and Provider Services, and Local Government committees.
This story was updated to indicate his license suspension and closure of the case.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.