Judge charged with DUI

By: The Wytheville Enterprise | WSLS
Published: March 04, 2008

An April court date has been set for a juvenile court judge and former Wythe County prosecutor charged Saturday with driving under the influence.

M. Keith Blankenship is set to appear April 24 in Smyth County on DUI and refusing a breath test charges, both misdemeanors.

The 43-year-old Wytheville resident was arrested Saturday evening in Smyth County after being pulled over by a Virginia State Police trooper.

According to Sgt. M.T. Conroy, Trooper R.D. Collins was watching for Blankenship’s vehicle on Interstate 81 northbound after police received a tip from Washington County that the vehicle’s driver may be impaired.

Conroy said the officer observed Blankenship driving erratically and pulled him over at the 43 mile marker at approximately 5:36 p.m.

Blankenship was the only person in the Subaru, Conroy said.

Appointed by the Virginia General Assembly in February 2005, Blankenship became a juvenile and domestic relations court judge in July of that same year. He presides in the 27th Judicial District, which covers Wythe, Bland and several other area counties.

Before becoming a judge, he served six years as Wythe County’s commonwealth’s attorney and was an assistant prosecutor in Smyth County.