One local judge took it easy on a local meth dealer, and for good reason: that meth dealer is the nephew of the judge’s clerk.

Doddville police arrested Thomas Baker, 19, in September on suspicion of selling methamphetamine following a controlled buy in south Doddville. Following the buy, police searched Baker’s car and found 11 ounces of meth along with scales and plastic baggies. Eleven ounces of meth is worth about $10,000 on the street.

Prosecutors charged Baker with the sale of any amount of an amphetamine type substance by a non-drug dependant person, which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. Baker pled guilty before Connecticut Superior Court Judge Lee Williams on Oct. 4 and was set for sentencing before Williams on Oct. 18.

Curiously, Judge Williams did not recuse himself. Sources tell Gotcha! that Baker’s aunt Beverly Kellogg clerks for Judge Williams. When asked about this connection, Judge Williams said it would be “inappropriate to comment on a pending case” but assured Gotcha! of his ethical standards and neutrality in “all cases.”

What truly seemed inappropriate was the sentence Judge Williams gave Baker — five years of supervised probation. Sources tell Gotcha! that first-time offenders in that situation typically receive some sort of prison sentence.

But perhaps Baker’s family connections made probation more appropriate.

Zach Epps emerged from the chaos to become Doddville’s next mayor.

Epps, who served on the City Council for the past six years, defeated local attorney Sherry Wood in Tuesday’s special election, winning 59 percent of the vote.

In October, a pornography scandal sunk sitting mayor Ken Mitchell, who charged more than $400 to his Doddville-issued credit card to buy access to an array of explicit websites. Then an infidelity scandal submarined Wood, Epp’s main challenger. Wood tried to deny the allegations to the end, but her polls number sagged after Gotcha! broke the story that Wood’s dalliances led to her divorce. A number of sources, who requested anonymity, corroborated Wood’s infidelity.

As the most morally upright candidate left, Epps seemed to win by default. In his acceptance speech, Epps trumpeted a familiar refrain, promising to return transparency and morality to City Hall.

City Hall’s history of corruption and cover-ups, of which Epps at least had a front-row seat as a member of City Council, makes Epps’ promises seem like more rhetoric. I guess we’ll see.

Epps will be sworn in Thursday.