Judge to rule whether dad will go to trial for letting his 9-year-old drive while he was drunk

WOODHAVEN, Mich. (AP) - A Detroit-area judge is to decide whether a man goes to trial on a child abuse charge for allowing his 9-year-old daughter to drive.

Judge Michael McNally is set to reveal his ruling Tuesday in Woodhaven.

Shawn Weimer's daughter testified last week about driving her father's van in the wee hours of Oct. 8. She says her dad had consumed half a bottle of whiskey. She says she agreed to drive but felt a "little scared."

The 39-year-old Weimer was charged with child abuse after police in Wayne County's Brownstown Township stopped the van and found the girl behind the wheel.

Weimer's attorney says the girl was a good driver and unlikely to be injured. That's a key standard under a second-degree child abuse charge.