Walton Jack, Jr. Photo Credit: V.I. LEGISLATURE
ST. CROIX — The pending negligent driving and DUI charges against Walton Jack, Jr. have been dismissed with prejudice, after a plea agreement was accepted by Superior Court Judge Douglas Brady.
Mr. Jack, a former police lieutenant, was arrested in May 2023 following a collision on Northside Road, St. Croix. According to the public court record, during his first court appearance Judge Yolan Brow Ross found probable cause to uphold a charge of driving under the influence. Prosecutors filed a complaint some weeks later which included a second charge of negligent driving. As the matter proceeded before the court, an initial trial date in February of this year was moved to April 2025.
However earlier this month, Mr. Jack's attorney Kye Walker filed a motion to dismiss the charges altogether, alleging prosecutorial misconduct. According to the motion, body camera footage from the police officer who responded to the collision showed that Mr. Jack passed two of the three standardized field tests administered at the scene, contrary to that officer's assertion that he failed all three.
“Despite having knowledge of the [officer's] false statements, the Government has not informed the Court of the false statements,” the motion to dismiss accused.
The government's response was swift. A day later, prosecution filed a motion to oppose the defense request for a dismissal of the matter. Apart from being untimely, they argued, the motion to dismiss contained allegations that should be ventilated at trial. “Refusing to accept the Defendant's interpretation of facts is not prosecutorial misconduct,” prosecuting attorneys argued. “Perhaps the defense can successfully critique how the tests were administered or get them stricken from evidence. The trial and pretrial hearings will resolve these issues.”
Judge Brady never got the opportunity to rule on the dueling motions, however, and the issues meant to be resolved at trial will now never be heard in court. The parties entered into a plea agreement, in which prosecutors dropped the two more serious charges against Mr. Jack in exchange for him pleading guilty to failure to stay on the left, a lesser misdemeanor.
The plea agreement was accepted by the court, and Mr. Jack — currently an assistant sergeant at arms at the V.I. Legislature — was sentenced to pay a $30 fine, and $75 in court costs. With that, the case was closed.
