Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge James Heath was a well-liked father of three, who was active in the community.
But a string of personal problems had apparently taken a toll on him.
Judge Heath was found dead in the master bedroom of his house on Nunner Road in Maineville Sunday.
He was found by his wife, 17 hours after he was arrested on State Route 48 for allegedly driving drunk.
This was his second drunk driving arrest in eight months.
During the first arrest in October, Heath begged the trooper to let him go.
He ended up pleading to a lesser charge of reckless operation.
Friends and family say on top of the embarrassment from the arrest, Heath was suffering from stomach cancer, and was separated from his wife.
The Warren County judge was active with his church, St. Margaret of York in Deerfield Township.
The church's pastor, Father Jan Schmidt, says Heath was well-loved and will be missed.
"Jim was very friendly, very open, very humorous, very active and engaging in pastoral council meetings" said Father Schmidt. “We don't know what's going on in his life and why things that have happened, have happened. It's difficult for this community, certainly.”
An autopsy Tuesday will tell investigators exactly what caused Heath's death.
