Plum admits past criminal activity

For his part, Plum responded that he feels "blackmailed and bullied" by the Reddings. The couple earlier filed a complaint saying that third candidate Michael Waters did not obtain enough valid nomination signatures from registered voters.

Franklin County Judge Richard Walsh determined that Waters, a Republican, was not eligible to appear on ballots in the May 19 primary.

"When they had him thrown out, I figured I was next," said Plum, a Republican.

Carol Redding, a Democrat, said the only blemish on her criminal record is a traffic ticket that was dismissed. Any criminal violations could jeopardize her license to practice law, she said.

Plum said he picked up an undercover police officer he believed was a hitchhiker in August 2000. He said, "I didn't have a nickel in my pocket" during the incident in Hagerstown. He participated in Maryland's "probation before judgment" program, meaning his conviction was cleared after a year of unsupervised probation.

In the DUI arrest, Plum claims he was stopped by a bicycle cop who did not administer breathalyzer or blood-alcohol content tests. His case entered the "stet" status, which also expunged the charges after time.

Additionally, Plum had two cases that dealt with passing bad checks, one of which was over $1,000. He ultimately paid both of those debts.

"This has all been about a decade ago. Who doesn't have things in the past?" Plum asked, saying he's married and active in a church now.

Plum intends to remain on ballots. Both candidates cross-filed, so they will appear on both Republican and Democratic ballots as is permitted for judge candidates.

"I believe in our system, and I believe in me," he said.