A Hamilton County general sessions judge Friday morning dropped felony burglary charges against Red Bank’s vice mayor after his soon-to-be ex-wife in July told police he tried to steal her car.

Judge Clarence Shattuck ruled that the issue between Monty Millard and his wife, Sonya, was a civil matter and should not be hashed out in criminal court.

According to court records, Mr. Millard violated a civil restraining order when he said he tried to move his wife’s car from a parking space at Amigo’s restaurant in Red Bank.

He testified at a hearing Friday that he had no intention of stealing it. He said he just wanted to move it from the “to go” spot since it seemed like his wife was actually eating dinner in the restaurant when he drove by one evening and saw the vehicle sitting in the lot.

Records show Mr. Millard owns the vehicle. Both Judge Shattuck and prosecutor Charlie Minor questioned whether a person can be convicted of burglarizing his own property, although both agreed that Ms. Millard had been the sole driver of the vehicle since her husband bought it for her in 2002.

See tomorrow’s Times Free Press for complete details.