Repeat offenders: Two face charges for their fourth DUIs
Two Flathead County men each are facing their fourth charges of driving under the influence of alcohol after a pair of weekend arrests.
The Flathead County Attorney’s Office filed felony charges against Zachary Hubbard and John Cleveland on Tuesday in District Court.
Hubbard was arrested Saturday shortly after a Whitefish Police Department officer saw his blue Dodge pickup truck almost strike another vehicle, according to court documents.
The officer began following him through downtown Whitefish, at which point the northbound truck crossed into the southbound lane of traffic and narrowly avoided another collision.
Initially he didn’t pull over for the officer, instead traveling farther until stopping in a parking lot, according to court documents.
Hubbard allegedly refused a breathalyzer and other sobriety checks.
According to court documents, he told the officer, “I have more DUIs than God.”
A review of his driving record showed prior convictions for DUI in 2000, 2002 and 2005.
He was taken to North Valley Hospital where his blood was drawn; later he was transported to the Flathead County Detention Center.
Cleveland was arrested after telling a Montana Highway Patrol trooper he had consumed “a lot of beers” after a traffic stop at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
He was arrested after allegedly failing several sobriety tests.
Cleveland has prior DUI convictions that followed arrests in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
A fourth DUI conviction requires a sentence of between 13 months and five years in the Montana Department of Corrections or Montana State Prison and a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000.
Cleveland is currently being held in county jail with bail set at $20,000. Hubbard was released after posting bail Thursday.
There currently are four inmates in the Flathead County Detention Center charged with four or more DUIs.
According to the Montana Department of Justice, there was a 39 percent increase in felony convictions for defendants facing their fourth or subsequent DUI in 2010.
Reporter Eric Schwartz may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at eschwartz@dailyinterlake.com.