An investigator for Bedford County has been sentenced on a DUI charge that involved driving the wrong way on U.S. 29, continuing for 11 miles throughout Campbell County and eluding police, as reported by The News and Advance from Lynchburg, VA.
Former Bedford County Deputy J.H. was sentenced to four months in jail by Campbell County Circuit Court Judge John Cook.
Judge Cook called J.H.'s behavior the night of April 11, 2001, as "about as dangerous as you can get."
The original four-year total sentence was suspended – all but three months on a three-year sentence for eluding police, and all but one month was suspended on the one-year DUI sentence.
In April J.H. pleaded guilty to DUI but not to eluding police. However Cook found J.H. guilty, in a bench trial, of consciously fleeing from police.
J.H. claimed that following a car crash that claimed the life of his 16 year-old sister, he had been prescribed medication from a professional – but he had failed to take the prescription.
On the night of the DUI J.H. admitted that he made a mistake.
J.H.'s former coworkers at the Bedford County Sheriff's Office, testifying in court, explained that J.H.'s behavior on the job had changed since his sister's death. His sister had died in a car accident in Pittsylvania County, approximately one month before J.H.'s DUI arrest.
J.H.'s mood changes were described as "almost minute to minute" with being "so depressed (to) almost too happy. There was no in between" according to his former fellow investigator, R.B.
Along with coping with his little sister's death, J.H. also testified that he suffers with post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, following a tour of military service in Afghanistan. J.H. explain that his state of mind was further exacerbated when on "The Wednesday before the event … I prevented a woman from committing suicide. Her name was Alexis, same as my sister. Blond hair, blue eyes, same as my sister."
Three more of J.H.'s co-workers testified that though they had concerns over how J.H. was coping with the loss of his sister, he had loved his job and was a hard worker.
J.H. has since taken a job in security at Macy's department store in the River Ridge Mall.
His wife testified that his new medications have allowed her husband to return to being "more of a balanced person."
Prosecutor Rebecca Wetzel said that the sentencing was both "difficult and perplexing." In reference to J.H. being in law enforcement, Wetzel added, "It's been said many times that with great power comes great responsibility. He behaved in a very irresponsible manner."
Cook said of his decision to convict J.H., "There has to be a sentence that sends a message. Eleven miles, it's amazing that no one was injured or killed."
Have you been charged with a DUI? Any charge stemming from DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI requires that you contact a DUI attorney that has experience in these types of cases.