Embattled Jurist Faces New Felony Counts
Garfield County Associate Judge Brian Lovell is facing serious legal trouble after a grand jury indicted him for allegedly firing a gun at his brother-in-law’s residence in Oklahoma. This comes on top of existing felony charges against him in Texas for a similar incident.
Drive-By Shooting in Oklahoma
According to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, 59-year-old Lovell is accused of discharging a firearm into a dwelling and using a vehicle to facilitate the discharge of a firearm. These charges stem from an alleged drive-by shooting at the home of his brother-in-law, Kenneth Markes.
Reported Stolen Gun Raises Questions
Intriguingly, just two days after the Oklahoma shooting, Lovell reported the gun allegedly used in the crime stolen from his vehicle.
Texas Charges and Troubling Pattern
Lovell’s legal woes extend beyond Oklahoma. He is already facing eight felony counts in Texas for allegedly using the same gun in a drive-by shooting near Matamoros and Santa Maria streets in Austin last September. Bullets from the incident reportedly hit “several vehicles” in the area.
The indictment further details a separate road rage incident where Lovell allegedly rear-ended another vehicle and attempted to push it into oncoming traffic.
Judge Released on Bond
Lovell was indicted in the Austin case in February and is currently free on a $10,000 bond.
