Woman with multiple DWIs sentenced to state prison
ALBION – A Geneseo woman who was charged with four DWIs in three months was sentenced to state prison today in Orleans County Court.
Sharon Davis, 54, was charged with driving while intoxicated on April 21 in Barre when she registered a 0.26 percent Blood Alcohol Content.
She pleaded guilty on Aug. 28 to felony DWI in Orleans County. She faced a maximum sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison. The plea includes a second DWI in Batavia on May 15. The sentences for the DWIs in Orleans and Genesee are together, but Davis will be prosecuted separately for the two more recent DWIs in Livingston County.
Sara Sheldon, the acting County Court judge, sentenced Davis to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison. Her attorney, Christian Kennedy, asked for local jail and five years of probation.
Kennedy said Davis has already spent about six months in jail. He said Davis turned to alcohol to cope with the recent deaths of her mother and a friend.
“She has an alcohol problem,” Kennedy said. “Throwing her into state prison won’t address that.”
Davis spoke during sentencing and said she is taking responsibility for the crime.
The judge said Davis is unlikely to get a driver’s license again. But that doesn’t mean the public can be guaranteed she won’t drive.
Davis has six DWIs altogether, including two cases that are pending in Livingston County. The judge in Livingston may add additional prison time for Davis, have the sentences run at the same time, or consider some local jail or probation for Davis.
Of the four recent DWIs all were with BACs at 0.18 percent or higher, more than twice the legal limit. (Davis also has two other prior DWIs in 2007 in Livingston County and 2008 in Monroe County.)
“I’m putting you in state prison,” Sheldon told Davis. “I can’t have you on the road because you might kill somebody. I hope to God you don’t kill someone or then you’ll be in here on a manslaughter charge.”
