Had three drunken driving charges thrown out of court between 1986-1990
In 1988, then chief associate Judge Edward Ferguson acquitted Pratt on a misdemeanor battery charge for punching Bethalto resident Linda Wegman while she was standing at the juke box at a tavern. Pratt admitted the punch but claimed it was in response to her calling him an obscene name and kicking him in the thigh. Ferguson said the prosecutor failed to introduce evidence that would show why Pratt would have committed such an act.
In 1990, he was accused again in Madison County Court of punching Wegman in the same incident but the suit was thrown out but Circuit Judge George Moran