CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : CHICO : Judge Denies He Has Conflict of Interest

A Butte County judge contends he has no conflict of interest even though his wife is half owner of an alcohol-awareness school to which he sentences convicted drunk drivers. About 500 convicted drivers annually pay up to $845 to attend the Prevention Education Program Inc., the only school of its kind in the rural Northern California county. Court officials estimate that North Butte County Municipal Judge Darrell W. Stevens has sentenced 250 convicted drunk drivers to the school since he was appointed to the bench by Gov. George Deukmejian last year.