Edgar pleads guilty to misdemeanor DWI
May 1—The leader of the St. Joseph School District has brought an end to the case against him for a March offense of driving while intoxicated.
A guilty plea was heard Thursday on behalf of Superintendent Gabe Edgar by Associate Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Spencer at the Buchanan County Courthouse. According to Edgar's attorney, Jim Nadolski, the case is now in final disposition. Edgar will not serve any time in jail for the misdemeanor offense. As a matter of Missouri law, the punishment will be handled as a suspended sentence, Nadolski said, akin to probation. That condition will apply for two years.
Edgar is admonished to not violate the law again, Nadolski said, and he will be required to report any future incidents to the court.
"The court is being very kind here, and it's not any sort of special treatment, this is just how things usually go in the case of someone who has been charged with DWI for the first time," Nadolski said. "If it's a speeding ticket or some other traffic infraction, that'll be handled as normal. But for people who choose to thumb their nose at this — especially if there is another DWI — well then, God help you."
The Missouri State Highway Patrol stopped Edgar on March 26, and a trooper recorded suspicions of alcohol intoxication, later confirmed by a blood test. The trooper arrested him, before release was obtained that evening. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Richard Parks charged Edgar a few days later. A May trial had been possible.
Edgar has apologized for his actions. The school district said Monday it had no new information on the case. The Board of Education decided in an April closed-door session that it would retain Edgar on his current contract, which runs through June 2026.
Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem
