Minnesota man with dozens of DWI's is going to prison

Fergus, MN

One of Minnesota's worst drunk drivers is going to prison.

Danny Lee Bettcher, 57, of rural Wadena, Otter Tail County, was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for driving while intoxicated after refusing a chemical test.

Bettcher has more than two dozen DWI convictions in the past 20 years. Among them are 14 confirmed DWI offenses in Minnesota, according to the Otter Tail County Attorney’s office.

He was most recently arrested May 8, 2009 in New York Mills after police said he went through a stop sign on his motorcycle and was arrested on suspicion of felony first-degree DWI.

In May, the County Attorney’s office charged Bettcher with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, refusal to submit to testing in the first degree, and the lesser charges of driving after revocation and possession of a small amount of marijuana. All but the DWI-refusal charges were dismissed in Otter Tail County District Court. He had been held in the Otter Tail County Jail since May and reported to the St. Cloud Correctional Facility on Friday.

In January 2004, Bettcher was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for first-degree DWI, his first felony DWI conviction.

He was placed on supervised release in October 2006.

In June 2007, he was sent back to prison for a minimum of one year for violating conditions of his release by consuming alcohol and entering a business that sells alcohol.

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Minnesota man charged in 20th DWI arrest

Stillwater, MN

Authorities say they can't charge a St. Paul man with a felony after he was arrested for the 20th time on suspicion of drunken driving.

Minnesota law makes a fourth drunken driving offense within 10 years a felony. But prosecutors say that because only 2 of Paul Garay's DWI convictions were in the past 10 years, the 55-year-old could only be charged with gross misdemeanors Monday.

Washington County Attorney Doug Johnson says it's another example of a system that's too lenient on drunken drivers.

Garay remained jailed Tuesday on a parole violation and couldn't be reached for comment. Jail records don't list his attorney's name.

Garay crashed at Highway 61 and Interstate 494 in Newport Thursday evening. The complaint says his blood alcohol level was 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit.

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Nebraska woman arrested for DWI twice in one night by same cop, two different cars

Lincoln, NE

Think she had a hangover the next morning...?!

Police in Lincoln, Nebraska arrested a woman twice in one night in two different cars for driving drunk, according to the AP.

The woman was pulled over at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday after she allegedly made an illegal turn and was spotted swerving down a south Lincoln street.

The officer who stopped her said her blood-alcohol level was .19. That's more than twice the legal limit.

The woman was cited on suspicion of driving under the influence and negligent driving and taken to a detoxification center.

The same officer stopped the woman again about two hours later. This time she was driving her boyfriend's car. She was arrested for driving under the influence and negligent driving and taken to jail. Her blood-alcohol level then tested at .154.

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Driver with 78 license suspensions pleads guilty to 15th DWI, 2 more DWI charges still pending

Morristown, NJ

The man is 40 years old and has had his license suspended 78 times in the past 20 years. That's an average of 3.9 license suspensions per year. He has just pleaded guilty to his 15th DWI and still has two more DWI cases pending.

I admire the optimism of his lawyer, who states: "[He] will not be driving for a very long time."

On issues unrelated to the case, the lawyer also stated, "The Easter Bunny and Santa Claus do exist, Bigfoot is real, and Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone."

A 40-year-old man with 14 prior drunken driving convictions pleaded guilty today to his 15th, admitting he was plastered on beer when he struck a vehicle with a Chatham father and young daughter inside in April in Morris Township.
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Shaun Campbell pleaded guilty before state Superior Court Judge Salem Vincent Ahto in Morristown to one count of assault by auto on April 23, and to the motor vehicle offenses of driving while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license.

Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Brian DiGiacomo said Campbell's blood-alcohol level was .288 percent, or more than three times the .08 percent level at which a motorist is deemed legally intoxicated in New Jersey.

The prosecutor's office is seeking the maximum sentence it can for Campbell, whose driving record also shows 78 revocations in about 20 years. Defense lawyer John Paul Velez said Campbell still has two DWI summonses pending in Pequannock and Wayne.

The state will seek 18 months imprisonment on the assault-by-auto charge, and consecutive terms of 180 days and 180 days on the motor vehicle offenses of driving while intoxicated and driving while suspended. His driver's license would be revoked for a minimum of 10 years but Velez said that with other revocations banked, Campbell "will not be driving for a very long time.''

The judge revoked Campbell's $50,000 bail, which he has never been able to post, and he will remain in the county jail until his sentencing on Aug. 7.

''What did you drink?'' the judge asked Campbell, who was polite throughout the hearing.

''Beer. Quite a bit. Enough to not know what was going on,'' he replied.

“This defendant has pleaded guilty to the maximum time allowed under the law. We need to ensure that these cases are handled sternly to ensure, as best as is possible, the safety of the community from the dangers of drinking and driving. This is especially so with a person who has shown an utter disregard for the law, as this defendant has,” Robert A. Bianchi, Esq. said.

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PA man pulled over twice in 3 hours for DUI, second time at station

Pittsburgh, PA

Further proof that alcohol consumption may impair one's judgment. Oops!

A 26-year-old man from Pittsburgh has been arrested twice in three hours for driving under the influence. The first time, the man failed a sobriety test and various pills were found in his car. He was dropped off at his mother's home.

Later that night, the man returned to the police station, seeking medication that had been seized in his initial arrest. He told officers that he had been given a lift, but they were able to pull him over when he tried to leave on his own.

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Pa. woman gets 2 1/2 years in prison for 11th DUI

Greenburg, PA

It's good to hear she now is serious about alcohol rehabilitation

A western Pennsylvania woman will spend 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison for her 10th and 11th drunken driving offenses since 1993, but a prosecutor and Mothers Against Drunk Driving say the sentence is too lenient.

Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck and MADD wanted 41-year-old Jessica Snyder to be sentenced to 7 to 14 years on Wednesday.

Court records show Snyder has spent seven of the last 10 years incarcerated for drunken driving-related offenses.

While still on parole she was arrested in June and again in August, both times with a blood-alcohol content nearly three times the state's legal limit.

Snyder's license is suspended until 2030. Her attorney says she's now serious about alcohol rehabilitation.

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New Mexico man's 8th DWI arrest

Albuquerque, NM

Ray Lopez may not live his life to the letter of the law. He may not be the most cautious driver. He may not learn from his mistakes. He may not know when to say when.

Judging from the picture, however, he does appear to be a very happy drunk with an incredibly positive attitude. In that respect, more people should be like Ray and his example a lesson to us all.

An Albuquerque man is in jail after receiving his eighth DWI arrest.

State Police Spokesperson Lieutenant Eric Garcia said that Ray Lopez Jr., 51, was driving 50 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone on Interstate 25 south of the Comanche exit at 3:30 pm Wednesday.

The state police officer smelled alcohol, and found two open containers of beer in the 1986 Honda Lopez was driving.

Lopez was then given a field sobriety test which he failed.

In addition to his eighth DWI, state police also charged Lopez Jr. with tampering with evidence, altered or forged registration, driving on a revoked license, minimum Speed, careless driving, open container and failure to signal.

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Police: Man blames bad driving on spilled beer

Albuquerque, NM

Today is Albuquerque Day in DWI news. Trying to explain away weaving in and out of traffic by telling the cop your passenger spilled a beer may be the basis for a persuasive argument the driver's judgment is impaired.

What was this guy thinking?!

A man with four previous drunken driving convictions who was stopped for weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 40 was ready with an excuse for his poor driving: his passenger spilled his beer.

Not surprisingly, the man was arrested just before midnight Saturday, said state police officer Kurtis Ward, who said he initially thought the driver was joking.

"He was so matter of fact about it, like it wasn't a big deal," Ward said.

The 31-year-old man was allegedly too drunk to perform field sobriety tests and was arrested on aggravated drunken driving charges, court records said.

Ward found four opened bottles of beer in the car, court records showed.

It was the man's sixth DWI arrest. He had been found guilty of four of five previous drunken driving charges and has paid $1,750 in fines, the DWI Resource Center said.

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Texas man sentenced to 35 years in prison for no-injuries DWI crash

Taylor, TX

The double standard of the DWI industry never ceases to amaze me.

This Texas man was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of DWI for reportedly causing an accident while legally intoxicated in which nobody was hurt.

Remember this story: Cop who killed partner in a DWI crash sentenced to one-year jail term.

How about all of these stories about cops charged with DWI...

Taylor man Jimmy Ray Barnard was sentenced to 35 years in prison for felony driving while intoxicated Thursday for his seventh DWI conviction.

Barnard, 40, pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated for a June 23 incident in which Barnard reportedly caused a car wreck on IH-35 near Jarrell.
No injuries resulted from the collision. Barnard reportedly rear-ended a van, had no driver’s license and smelled of alcohol.

As police conducted an investigation into the wreck they found Barnard was intoxicated based on visual cues and a field sobriety test, according to court documents.

Barnard has been convicted of six DWIs since 1985. His original charge was elevated from a misdemeanor to a first-degree felony after police uncovered his prior convictions.

“We target repeat drunk drivers for rough punishment,” District Attorney John Bradley said in a statement. “Refusing treatment and continuing to drive will earn those drunken drivers a long prison sentence away from alcohol and cars.”

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Texas man gets life sentence for 10th DWI

Wichita Falls, TX

The system is broken. This man is sentence to die in prison while a drunken cop who got behind the wheel, crashed, and killed her partner was sentenced to one year. He would have gotten less time for robbing a convenience store and shooting the clerk in the arm and leg.

A man with nine previous drunken driving convictions was sentenced to life in prison.

Kenneth Chris Oneal, 58, received the maximum sentence Thursday after jurors convicted him of driving while intoxicated-repetition, his 10th drunken-driving related offense.

The offense was a felony because he had at least two such convictions in the past, prosecutors said. He faced from 25 years to life in prison.

Department of Public Safety troopers pulled him over in October and his blood-alcohol level tested at .215 percent, which means it was nearly three times the Texas legal limit of .08 percent, authorities said.

Ben Hoover, lead prosecutor in the case, said Oneal also had previously been convicted of assault and failure to stop and render aid.

"The jury handed down a big sentence, but it was a just sentence," Hoover said. "The jury apparently took this offense seriously and wanted to send a message that a multiple-DWI offender was not going to be allowed back on the roads of Wichita County."

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Man Drinks Wite-Out To Beat DUI Rap

Omaha, NE

...More proof that the consumption of a large amount of alcohol (BAC of .287% qualifies) can result in the profound impairment of one's judgment.

A repeat drunk driver being held at the police station kept drinking--except this time he took a swig of correction fluid that was sitting on a tech's desk.

Police surveillance tape shows 33-year-old Juan Briceno taking a drink of Wite-Out. When he opens his mouth, his tongue is chalky white. His blood alcohol level, despite the glug: .287, or three-and-a-half times the legal limit.

A jury found Briceno guilty of driving while intoxicated. Prosecutors say the drink that Briceno snuck at the police station didn't affect his blood alcohol level. He'll be sentenced in October.

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Ohio man arrested for 13th DWI

Newark, OH

He apparently has a drinking problem, but does he have a driving problem?

The man has been arrested for DWI 13 times. His license had been suspended 45 times before being revoked for life in 1995. Yet, to his credit, he never has injured himself or anyone else driving drunk.

Could that be why 2,588 percent more people die from cigarettes each year in the U.S. than in accidents in which someone was drinking?

A man convicted of drunken driving a dozen times was ordered held under $50,000 bond on Tuesday after police said he committed the same offense again.

On Sunday morning, Jeffrey Moore was pulled over for driving 45 mph in a 35 mph zone, 10TV's Patrick Bell reported. Moore ran from the officer, but was arrested moments later.

Moore, 40, refused all sobriety and breath tests, according to records. This was Moore's 13th drunken driving arrest.

Since the late 1980s, Moore's license has been suspended 45 times. In 1995, his license was suspended for life, Bell reported.

Donna Maines of Mothers Against Drunk Driving said he never should have been behind the wheel.

"Thank God he hasn't killed anyone or injured himself," Maines said. "But we have to get this stopped. He knows he's not supposed to be drinking, let alone driving."

Calls to prosecutors were not returned on Tuesday morning.

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Man jailed on 13th DUI charge

Batavia, OH

There will be one big question in the mind of anyone who carefully reads this article: How in the heck did Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg get the nickname "Tim?"

An Owensville man charged with his 13th DUI is being held in the Clermont County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bond.

John E. Stroop, 60, of the 5000 block of Ohio 132 In Owensville pleaded not guilty this morning to driving with fictitious license plates and a traffic lane violation before Magistrate Gregory Chapman in Municipal Court.

A hearing on the felony DUI charge is to be held within 10 days.

Stroop was arrested about 4 p.m. Saturday on U.S. 50 in Clermont County and charged with DUI and other traffic offenses, said Clermont County Sheriff A.J. “Tim” Rodenberg in a prepared statement.

His DUI cases date back to the late 1970s, the sheriff said. Stroop's license was suspended for 10 years after a 1999 conviction for DUI. He was sentenced to a year in jail for that offense in addition to the suspension.

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New Mexico man arrested for 11th DWI

Gallup, NM

The system is broken.

McKinley County sheriff's Sgt. Tom Mumford has seen countless drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

But when he busted a Ft. Wingate man on his eleventh DWI charge, he shook his head in bewilderment. "Hopefully this guy is put away," he said.

Precopio Montano, 53, was arrested Friday morning after Mumford found Montano's vehicle stuck in a ditch.

"When I arrived on scene, the driver had the strong smell of alcohol on his breath and could barely stand he was so intoxicated," Mumford said. Not only was Montano driving on a revoked license, Mumford said he had no insurance and his vehicle's registration was expired.

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10th DWI gets man 60 years in prison

Georgetown, TX

Moral of the story: Don't waive your right to a jury trial and plead guilty to DWI in Georgetown, Texas. ...Oh yeah, and always use your turn signal.

A judge has ordered 60 years in prison for a Taylor man convicted in a 10th driving while intoxicated case since 1979.

Prosecutors say 53-year-old Anthony Lynn Falco of Taylor waived his right to a jury trial and pleaded not guilty to felony DWI over the June 22 traffic stop.

The judge who convicted Falco heard evidence how a Round Rock police officer stopped him after he failed to use a turn signal while driving a pickup.

A statement Tuesday from Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley says tests showed Falco's blood alcohol content was .17, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Texas.

Bradley says Falco had nine prior DWI convictions and served prison terms ranging from 5-10 years, plus had convictions for theft, family violence assault and forgery.

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Ohio man sentenced to 8 years in prison for 19th DUI

Hamilton, OH

Q: How many "steps" would Stephen Wolf have taken had he completed a 12-step program after each of his drunk driving convictions?

A: 228

A Hamilton man has been sentenced to eight years in prison and his driver's license has been revoked for life for his 19th drunk driving conviction.

"I can't imagine anything but a prison sentence is warranted in this case," said Butler County Common Judge Noah Powers said Tuesday, Feb. 20, upon handing down the sentence.

Stephen Wayne Wolf, 51, of the 5000 block of Ellison Avenue, pleaded guilty last week to operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol following his arrest July 13, 2007.

The arrest came after witnesses saw him crash into an oncoming vehicle in Fairfield Twp. and leave the scene. At the time of his arrest, Wolf's blood alcohol content was .203, more than twice the legal limit, and he was found to be driving on a suspended license, authorities said.

Officials with the Butler County Prosecutor's Office report that Wolf received his first drunk driving conviction in 1978.

Wolf's lawyer, Robert Qucsai, asked the judge to give a sentence of treatment — not jail time. Of Wolf's prior convictions, Qucsai said only two were in the past 15 years. However, Qucsai admitted Wolf had a span of three years in which he had nine drunk driving arrests. More >>

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New Mexico man arrived at court drunk be sentenced on his 11th DWI conviction

Las Cruces, NM

The only thing worse than showing up in court drunk to be sentenced for your 11th DWI is having gotten drunk before court at a 100th birthday party...

A Las Cruces man was sentenced Tuesday on his 11th drunken driving conviction, almost 40 days after his original sentencing date, for which he arrived drunk.

Anthony Sierra, 34, was given the maximum sentence of three years, six months in state prison by District Judge Mike Murphy in addition to a $10,000 fine and five years probation after being released from prison.

Sierra was given three years for a third-degree felony aggravated drunken driving and six months for a petty misdemeanor charge of concealing identity.

"This is a very interesting case from where I sit, tragic from where your wife and children sit and I can't imagine what it's like where you stand," Murphy told Sierra.

Sierra pleaded guilty to the charges last September and later unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw his plea. He was to be sentenced Jan. 11 but was instead found in criminal contempt of court by Murphy because he arrived drunk, and was given a 40-day sentence at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.

Sierra's three-year, six-month sentence will begin Thursday when his 40-day sentence expires.

District Attorney Susana Martinez said Sierra indicated he had been drinking at his grandfather's 100th birthday party.

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Repeat DWI offender rams cop's SUV, leads high-speed chase

Albuquerque, NM

He'd been arrested 9 times before for DWI...as recently as the previous Saturday. Ramming the cop, then leading them on a high-speed chase: Not a good move.

A man with a record of nine arrests for drunken driving is accused of ramming a deputy’s car when he was pulled over for suspected DWI Tuesday evening.
A deputy says that she pulled over 56-year-old Terry Brooks after receiving reports that he was driving drunk.

But before the deputy could approach Brooks’ driver’s-side window, she says he threw his car into reverse and rammed the front of her SUV, crumpling the hood and front end.

Brooks then reportedly sped off and led officials on a chase of several miles before crashing into a yard. More >>

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Man with 14 DWI arrests faces possible 30-year sentence

Colfax, LA

This guy's been arrested for DWI 14 times and convicted only 4 times. The odds of getting away with DWI in Louisiana seem pretty darn good.

A Dry Prong man who prosecutors say has been arrested 14 times for drunk driving could face as many as 30 years in prison for a fourth-offense driving while intoxicated conviction.

David Stapleton, 54, was convicted in a Jan. 14 and 15 jury trial, Grant Parish District Attorney Jay Lemoine said Thursday.

"Mr. Stapleton has been a threat to public safety for many years," Lemoine said. "He has been arrested for DWI 14 times since 1977. He is now off the streets, in jail and facing 10 to 30 years in prison at hard labor." More >>

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New Mexico man indicted for 10th DWI arrest

Las Cruces, NM

A Summary: At 4:30 PM, a homeless man with 9 previous DWI arrests, still drunk from the night before, was pulled over while acting as the designated driver for his passenger, a man the cop (who once arrested a man with 23 prior DWIs) previously had arrested twice for DWI.

A homeless man was indicted Thursday after his 10th DWI arrest, according to court records.

The officer who arrested him said it is not the first time he has seen a 10-time offender.

Jose A. Gonzalez, 54, who once listed an address in La Mesa, N.M., was pulled over Jan. 5 for speeding in Vado, said arresting officer New Mexico State Police Patrolman Diego Herrera. Herrera said when he turned his siren on, he noticed Gonzalez attempt to turn away and almost hit a light pole. When Herrera walked up to the car he said he smelled alcohol and noticed several beer cans in the car. Herrera said when he asked Gonzalez to step out of the vehicle, he could not stand on his own and had to use the car to balance himself.

"What I remember the most about this arrest is that it was 4:30 in the afternoon and he said he was hung over from the night before," Herrera said. "I recognized the passenger. I had arrested him twice before for DWI."

Gonzalez refused a breath alcohol or blood test and was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, Herrera said. More >>

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LA man arrested for 10th DWI after causing head-on crash

Shreveport, LA

Being a drunk is his own business. Being a drunk who refuses to quit driving drunk is the business of anyone with whom he may share the road.

A Shreveport man is behind bars on his 10th DWI charge.

The arrest stemmed from a wreck over the weekend that left four people injured. His blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit.

Police say John Taylor, 75, was traveling west on 70th Street early saturday morning when he crossed the double yellow line and slammed head-on into another vehicle, containing an adult and three children. A six and five year old are in serious condition. More >>

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Nicotine fit leads to 2 DUIs in 2 hours (and a driving while suspended)

Columbus, OH

Finally, definitive scientific proof that cigarettes are addictive and alcohol intoxication causes impaired judgment.

A Pataskala man's nicotine fit left him with back-to-back busts on drunken-driving charges.

Kenneth L. Stamper was cited for operating a vehicle under the influence after a Pataskala officer saw his car weaving on Broad Street about 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

Stamper's blood-alcohol level tested at 0.16 percent — twice the 0.08 percent level at which a motorist is presumed intoxicated in Ohio. His car was impounded and his driver's license immediately suspended. Stamper, 49, was freed on his own recognizance, and an officer gave him a ride home.

Then, clerks at a United Dairy Farmers called police about 12:30 a.m.. A man was creating a ruckus after learning the store did not have his brand of smokes. It was Mr. Stamper — again. He had driven a second car to the convenience store. Police again charged Stamper with DUI. This time, he tested at 0.13 percent. Cops tacked on a charge of driving under an administrative license suspension. More >>

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Lynnwood, WA man who was arrested after crash has 15 DUIs

Seattle, WA

Not to be outdone by Ohioan Wayne Wykof, allegedlyRobert Castle of Lynnwood, WA was arrested for drunken driving after being involved in a 3-car crash, resisting arrest, and being Tasered. It was his 15th arrest for DUI.

The State Patrol says a 51-year-old Lynnwood man who was arrested during the weekend has been arrested a total of 15 times for drunk driving and has five driving under the influence convictions.

His driver's license is already revoked.

His arrest on Saturday afternoon qualifies as a felony DUI, meaning he could face a stiffer sentence if he is convicted.

After a three-car accident, he was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of driving under the influence, resisting arrest, hit and run and eluding.

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Follow up: Eastlake, OH driver accused of 13th DUI back in court

Eastlake, Ohio

They say the 13th time's a charm...or is it the 4th time in prison?

In Lake County, Wayne Wykof went ballistic inside the police station after he was arrested for drunk driving last week. It was his 13th arrest for operating a vehicle while visibly impaired.

The booking video shows that Eastlake police had to taser Wykof several times when he tried to rip his own arm open and spit blood on the police.

Today in Municipal Court in Willoughby, he walked quietly into the courtroom of Judge Harry Field.

Wayne Wykof has already been sent to prison three times for drunk driving. After his last arrest in 2004, he was given a sentence of three years beind bars.

If convicted for his 13th drunk driving offense, Wykof will be going back to a prison cell. More >>

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Man Exposes Self, Shouts Vulgarities After 13th DUI Arrest

East Lake, OH

Somewhere, this man has a mother who loves him very much...

An Eastlake man is in jail following his 13th drunken driving arrest.

Wayne Wykof, 46, has had 12 DUI convictions since 1981 and has lost his license for life.

In his most recent arrest, an Eastlake police sergeant used a Taser gun on Wykof after the man started biting himself, police said.

A booking video showed Wykof continuing his belligerent behavior a few minutes later, ripping up police paperwork and then exposing himself and screaming vulgarities. More >>

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