Appellate Court Judge Tomasz Ś. faces criminal charges after crashing while driving against traffic in Tychy, Poland.
Incident Details
On February 2, 2026, Judge Tomasz Ś. of the Katowice Appellate Court drove a passenger car in Tychy. According to the spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, around 4:20 PM, he entered a roundabout in the opposite direction of traffic flow, then drove onto a road sign, crossed a pedestrian-bike path, and collided with a tree.
Arrest and Alcohol Tests
Traffic police officers from the Tychy City Police Headquarters arrived at the scene and conducted a sobriety test. The results indicated a state of intoxication – between 0.90 mg/l to 1.03 mg of alcohol in exhaled air. Due to these findings, Tomasz Ś. was arrested and taken to a hospital for blood collection. Laboratory tests showed 1.51‰, 1.40‰, and 1.31‰ of ethyl alcohol in his blood, respectively.
Judicial Immunity and Legal Process
The National Prosecutor’s Office explained that a judge cannot be arrested or held criminally liable without permission from the appropriate disciplinary court, unless caught in the act of a crime. In this case, the prosecutor filed a motion with the Supreme Court for permission to hold the judge criminally liable, which was granted. After obtaining permission, the prosecutor presented Tomasz Ś. with the charge of driving while intoxicated.
Judge’s Response and Consequences
During interrogation as a suspect, Tomasz Ś. admitted to the alleged offense and expressed remorse. The prosecutor applied preventive measures against him: suspension from official duties and a prohibition from driving any motor vehicles on land. The President of the Katowice Appellate Court was notified of the arrest but chose not to order the judge’s immediate release.
Legal Timeline
According to applicable law, when a request for permission to hold a judge criminally liable concerns a judge caught in the act and still detained, the disciplinary court makes its decision within 24 hours. This procedure was followed in this case, with the Supreme Court granting the request for permission to hold the judge criminally liable.