Plea deal leads to suspended sentence

A 48-year-old Kalispell man was given a six-year suspended sentence Feb. 7 in Flathead District Court after earlier pleading guilty to a pair of charges.

Billy King originally was charged with felony driving under the influence, having been convicted of the offense four prior times, in October 1984, July 1987, January 1990 and November 1992.

A plea agreement in the case amended the charge to felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor driving under the influence.

King was stopped by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper on March 24, 2011, after being reported as a possible drunk driver and being seen by the trooper driving slowly and weaving in his traffic lane. During the stop, King admitted he had been drinking and failed field sobriety and breath alcohol tests.

King also was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.