PARKERSBURG - A lost dog resulted in a late-night weekend visit to the North Hills home of a circuit court judge.
Deputy sheriffs responded to the home of Wood County Circuit Court Judge J.D. Beane early Sunday morning after receiving a 911 call. Beane said the call was made by his girlfriend's daughter, Heather Bailey, about her missing dog.
Beane said Bailey, who has been staying with him, had been out with friends, came home and couldn't find her dog.
"She got upset; thought I had let it out," Beane said. "She freaked out."
Bailey confirmed Beane's account.
"All this because of my dog," she said.
Bailey said her dog, a Yorkshire terrier, is her baby.
"He's bad about getting out and darting off,' she said. "We couldn't find him. I just freaked out."
Bailey said she was embarrassed by the call and its timing.
"Had it been in the middle of the day, I never would have freaked out."
Randy Lowe, director of Wood County 911, said information related to the call stated no one at the residence wished to prosecute and units cleared the scene.
Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Jason Wharton was aware of the incident.
"We were forwarded a copy of the report from the sheriff's department," Wharton said.
Additional information has been requested by Assistant Prosecutor Jodie Boylen, Wharton said. Among the information requested was a report from 911.
The News and Sentinel has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Wood County Sheriff's Office and the Wood County 911 center for information regarding the 911 call and subsequent activity reports. They said the request would be sent to the prosecutor.
Lowe said officers made no report on the call. He said reports are required in all cases involving domestic violence; however, officers did not classify the case as domestic, but more along the lines of a "disagreement between roommates."
Beane said he did not realize Bailey called 911 until officers arrived.
"They came to the house. Her girlfriends came to the house trying to calm her down," Beane said. "That is the extent of it."
Beane has served as a circuit court judge since 2006, when he was appointed by Gov. Joe Manchin to replace George Hill. Prior to serving as a judge, Beane was a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, where he served since 1990.
Beane said he hated that officers were called out to his house, but downplayed the incident.
"I would rather it never had happened," he said. "Things are good and she is all right.
"Other than it was at my house, which is something you never want to happen, there was really nothing more to it than that," he said.
