Felony of habitual drunken driving gets Hilo man 5 years
A Big Island Circuit Court judge sentenced a 30-year-old Hilo man to five years in prison Tuesday for habitually driving under the influence of alcohol, a felony.
Judge Glenn Hara rejected Tmson Robert's request for probation and sentenced him to prison.
Police officers arrested Robert, also known as Timmy Ramirez, on March 20 for habitually driving under the influence of an intoxicant after finding him passed out in the driver's seat of a motor vehicle with the engine running, according to a news release from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of Hawaii County.
Police found Robert with a 40-ounce bottle of beer between his legs, the news release said.
Robert was convicted four times for driving under the influence of intoxicants: in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2005.
Habitually operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant is a Class C felony, punishable by a maximum five years' imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
A person can be convicted of that offense who has at least three convictions for driving under the influence of an intoxicant within a 10-year period.