Ferndale man pleads guilty to pair of charges

A Ferndale man has pleaded guilty to amended charges of felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor drunk driving.

John Weaver, 41, entered his guilty pleas Dec. 19 in Flathead District Court. He initially was charged with felony drunk driving.

According to a court document, several Flathead County deputies found Weaver sitting in his still-running pickup truck after responding to a report of a vehicle parked for several minutes in the middle of Ferndale Drive.

Weaver stumbled out of the vehicle despite being told to remain inside, at which point his passenger opened her door and several beer cans fell out. Weaver refused field sobriety tests and a breath sample but admitted to having been drinking.

He has prior convictions for DUI in April 1992, August 1992, May 1996 and December 2002.

Weaver faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years in the Montana State Prison for the criminal endangerment conviction and between 30 days and one year in jail for the drunk driving conviction, as well as a fine of between $300 and $51,000, when he is sentenced on Feb. 13, 2014.