Iowa City man charged with watching South Park while driving while high

A man was arrested by a sheriff's deputy on Monday morning after he was stopped for allegedly watching a TV show while driving, according to a court filing.

Griffen Vogelgesang-Maurer, 18, of Iowa City, was arrested and charged with first-offense operating while under the influence and first-offense possession of marijuana. Both charges are classified as serious misdemeanors.

At around 7:11 a.m. on Monday, November 18, a Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputy said he spotted Vogelgesang-Maurer watching South Park on his smartphone while driving, leading to him pulling his 2003 Oldsmobile Alero near the intersection of E Jefferson Street and N Dodge Street.

The deputy stated in a criminal complaint that the vehicle Vogelgesang-Maurer was driving smelled strongly of marijuana. He allegedly admitted to recently smoking and handed over the drug along with a pipe and a grinder. He showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests and submitted to a breath test which registered a .00 BAC, leading to the deputy to believe that he was under the influence of marijuana.

Vogelgesang-Maurer also received a traffic citation for use of an electronic device while driving.

Vogelgesang-Maurer is scheduled to appear in Johnson County District Court on November 28, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. He was released from the Johnson County Jail on bond.