Ventura Judge on Probation Arrested Again

Superior Court Judge Robert Bradley, who was suspended from the Ventura County bench after two drunk driving arrests last winter, was arrested Friday night after falling off his bicycle on a street corner, Ventura police confirmed Monday.

Bradley, 57, was booked for violating his probation when he was stopped about two miles from the sober living house where he has been staying, authorities said.

In an interview at the house Monday, Bradley--who has been arrested five times since Dec. 6--said he began drinking Friday after seeing news reports revealing details of an April domestic dispute with his wife.

Bradley said he saw the movie “Titanic” Friday night, then stopped at a nearby sports bar before attempting to ride his bicycle home.

“I’m really kind of tired of this, but as much as I am tired of reading about myself in the newspaper, I realize I am the one who continues to make mistakes,” Bradley said.

“For every five good days, I have one bad day and everyone finds out about it,” he added, quipping that he was keeping the local newspapers in business.

Bradley was arrested Friday after Ventura Police Officer Nancy Moore saw him on the ground next to his bicycle. Stopping to make sure he was OK, Moore recognized Bradley and knew from his four highly publicized alcohol-related arrests that the jurist was banned from drinking alcohol under the terms of his probation.

“He was intoxicated to the point where she wanted to get him off the street,” a police spokesman said.

The officer did not believe that she had enough evidence to cite the judge for riding a bicycle while intoxicated, which is illegal under the California vehicle code, the spokesman added, leaving it up to prosecutors with the state attorney general’s office to decide whether to charge Bradley with drunk driving or public intoxication.

Warchol is a Times correspondent and Wilson is a staff writer.