A wealthy business owner charged with DUI for the 7th time has escaped a prison sentence and must instead complete a work release program that requires he only go to jail to sleep at night, as reported by the Huffington Post.
J.G., 42, led police on a high-speed chase – driving his Ferrari at 100 mph through downtown Olympia – when he was arrested for DUI. He crashed into two cars, and a house, before police drew their guns and stopped him.
He later pleaded guilty to felony eluding an officer and DUI.
Protestors were at the courthouse for the sentencing. One man in the group, S.M., that had helped organize the protest commented, "It's not fair that there's a two-tiered legal system, one for those with money and another for those without."
According to police records J.G. drank and purchased drinks for others at a bar before getting behind the wheel. H.G., who had just met J.G. at the bar, said that he was, "flashing some big wads of cash and buying people drinks at the bar."
H.G. said that their meeting didn't end there, unfortunately for him, H.G. accepted the offer of a ride from J.G.
While in the car J.G. drove up to 100 mph and H.G. became very frightened that they might crash. According to reporters H.G. said he'd "never felt the actual feeling of 'hey you're probably going to die" and so he began "begging him 'please, please, I have a son" and to let H.G. out of the car.
So, as J.G. failed to stop the car, H.G. got out while it was moving. He got a few cuts in the process.
H.G. had also been to the courthouse, and after joining the protestors, said, "There are people who are less fortunate that get the shaft more, you know what I mean. I just think that that's wrong."
J.G., arrested with a blood alcohol content of .16, should have been ordered to serve a mandatory 120 days in jail according to Washington Courts – due to his BAC and his two prior DUIs.
Defense attorney Paul Strophy had successfully argued that H.G.'s business would suffer, and his employees would be out of work, if he had to serve a jail sentence instead of a work release program.
However, according to Washington Courts only if a sentence "would impose a substantial risk to the offender's physical or mental well-being" could it be overturned.
Earlier this year Judge James Dixon allowed H.G. to attend the Super Bowl game in New York City – after denying his request to attend a soccer competition in Nevada. When Dixon denied H.G.'s request to leave the state the first time he had said, "I would be doing not only this community, but also you a disservice if I allowed you to go to the state of Nevada. You are not to leave the state of Washington."
The second request, to go to New York, came with a court petition filed by Strophy that read that H.G. had a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see his hometown team play in the Super Bowl."
Prosecutor Jim Powers believes that the work release program may help H.G. and said, "Kind of an incentive for him to adopt a stable and sober lifestyle at that point."
Organizer S.M. said, "I think anyone who's extremely wealthy might be getting away with something when they're dealing with the legal system."
Whatever charges you face related to DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI contact a DUI attorney right away for help. You will need an experienced attorney to work out several things, including your plea agreement.