On Wednesday, a District Judge in Parker County, Texas, sentenced a 62-year-old Weatherford man to life behind bars after he was convicted of his tenth driving while intoxicated (DWI) offense.
Texas is known for its stern laws pertaining to DWI and DUI (driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.)
However, the amount of previous DWI convictions on the mans record was undoubtedly a key factor in determining his unusually strict sentence.
To date, the man has been arrested for DWI on 12 separate occasions.
Out of those 12 arrests, ten resulted in a DWI conviction.
12th Arrest, Tenth Conviction
On April 13, 2014, several motorists traveling along U.S. 180 called police to report someone driving recklessly on the highway. Witnesses stated a man was driving a vehicle erratically, often swerving on and off the road and driving for long periods of time in the wrong lane, facing oncoming traffic.
When local law officials pulled the man over, he admitted to drinking the majority of a 750-ml bottle of whiskey that was found inside his car. Several additional empty bottles of alcohol were also found inside his vehicle.
The intoxicated man, who was described as seconds away from hurting someone really badly, was supposed to be serving a sentence for DWI in Colorado at the time of his arrest.
The mans court records indicate that he was charged with four DWI convictions in Travis and Tarrant counties during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
From the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, he spent time in jail for several DWI arrests in Parker, Tarrant, and Runnel counties. He was also convicted of DWI offenses in Colorado in 2010 and 2015.
Protecting Parker County Citizens
Although the incident that spurred the most recent conviction occurred almost two years ago, the Assistant District Attorney on the case said they were forced to put the trial on hold while the man completed a sentence for a prior DWI in Colorado.
After being placed under house arrest for a DWI conviction in Texas, the man cut an electronic monitoring device off of his leg and fled to Colorado, where he was ultimately convicted of yet another DWI. He then fled Colorado and returned to Texas, where he was convicted of his latest DWI offense.
The District Judge presiding over the case said he chose a life sentence for the man as a way to protect the citizens of Parker County, Texas, and surrounding communities.
The judge stated that he felt imposing a life sentence was the only way to keep the man from accessing the roads and potentially taking someone’s life.
Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol has serious consequences, for both the driver and the victims. If you have been injured in a DWI or DUI accident, a skilled Fort Worth car accident lawyer from Anderson Cummings will ardently pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.
Call (817) 920-9000 or complete our online contact form to request a FREE Consultation.