A 39-year-old man arrested “at least” 25 times for drunk driving has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term in Virginia, according to a report from the Associated Press. The DUI arrests took place in Alabama and Georgia as well as Virginia.
Tracy Michael Decker’s prison sentence will not be his first. Decker served a four-year prison term after being arrested for DUI in 2006. Police determined that his blood-alcohol level had reached .28. Additionally, police found an open container inside his vehicle, along with passengers: two four-year-old children. They were not riding in car seats.
Following Decker’s prison term, he was arrested repeatedly for DUI in Alabama—four times in eight months.
After Decker’s release following this latest sentence, he will be barred from driving for 20 years.
DUI is a serious charge. The severity of the penalties increases sharply with repeat offenses. Decker’s situation may be somewhat unusual—25 DUI arrests is quite a high number—but jail time and loss of license do become mandatory after two or three convictions. With so much at stake, qualified legal counsel is essential.