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Nine sentenced for alcohol offenses in Cortez

Four people were sentenced in connection with alcohol-related driving offenses on April 11 in Montezuma County Court.

Judge JenniLynn Lawrence granted Cole Clark a deferred sentencing judgment in connection with a first alcohol-related driving offense. She did not sentence him to probation, instead requiring alcohol supervision and 48 hours of public service.

Lawrence also granted Nicholas Kingery a deferred judgment in connection with a first DUI. Kingery will be required to complete 12 months of probation and 48 hours of public service. Kingery is a family member of Montezuma County Undersheriff Jim Kingery, who appeared in court with Nicholas.

Lawrence sentenced Sherm Lansing to 10 days in jail and two years of probation in connection with a second DUI offense. He will be allowed two days credit for jail time already served. He will also be required to pay a $300 fine. For a driving under restraint offense, Lawrence granted Lansing a deferred judgment.

Andrea Witkowski will serve a 20-day electronic home monitoring and work release sentence in connection with a second DUI offense. She will also be required to serve two years of probation and complete 60 hours of public service.

Lawrence granted Witkowski a deferred judgment for her case. Deferred judgments usually are only granted for a first DUI, but Lawrence determined that Witkowski did not benefit from a deferred judgment on her first offense, so the judge granted it for her second.

On April 18 in Montezuma County Court, five were sentenced for alcohol-related driving offenses.

Ashley Arellano-Lopez was sentenced to 10 days in jail in connection with a first DUI offense. The offense carried a jail sentence because Arellano-Lopez’s BAC was over .2 percent.

Lawrence granted Arellano-Lopez a deferred sentencing judgment, as well as two days credit for jail time served in the case. Arellano-Lopez also will be required to complete 12 months probation and 48 hours of public service.

Harrison Hutchins was sentenced to 10 days jail in connection with a second DUI offense. However, he was granted 19 days credit for jail time already served, so he won’t serve any more time in the case. He will be required to complete two years probation and 60 hours of public service, as well as pay a $3000 fine.

Lawrence granted Hutchins a deferred judgment on two other charges of child abuse and driving without insurance in the case.

Rownona Smith was granted a deferred judgment in connection with a first DUI offense. She also will have to complete 12 months probation and 48 hours of public service. On a non-alcohol related driving under restraint charge, Lawrence granted Smith a 12-month deferred judgment.

Bradford Silas was sentenced to a 40-day electronic home monitoring sentence and two years probation in connection with a second DUI offense. Lawrence granted Silas a deferred judgment in a child abuse charge in the case.

Chaz Thompson was granted a one-year deferred judgment with alcohol supervision in connection with a first DUI offense. He will also have to complete 48 hours of public service.

On April 18 in Montezuma District Court, Judge Todd Plewe granted Kendall Johnson an 18-month deferred judgment with probation in connection with a domestic violence case.