Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 15, 1994 TAG: 9401150071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
In addition to receiving the maximum jail sentence, Jerry Lynn Daniels also was fined $1,500 by Judge James Brice in Roanoke General District Court.
"This guy is a menace," Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Teaster said. "We can't allow him to get by without the maximum punishment."
Daniels, 42, of Northeast Roanoke, also has at least four prior drunken driving convictions in other states.
Court records in Roanoke show that during a 2 1/2-month period, Daniels was accumulating DUI charges faster than the courts could handle them.
His first arrest was Oct. 18. By the time he went to court on that charge Nov. 10 and received a 30-day suspended sentence, he had a second DUI charge pending.
After having his license suspended at the Nov. 10 hearing, Daniels was allowed to remain free on bond. He was charged again with drunken driving on Nov. 29, Dec. 15 and Dec. 30.
After Daniel's second Roanoke conviction on Friday, stemming from the Nov. 29 offense, he was sent to jail. He still faces trial on the three other DUI charges.
Testimony showed that Daniels was driving so erratically that night that oncoming traffic had to stop or swerve to miss his car.
Daniels refused to take a blood-alcohol test, Teaster said, but field sobriety tests conducted by the arresting officer showed he was under the influence.
Daniels did not testify Friday, but told the judge he is seeking help for his drinking problem.
by CNB