Ferndale man sentenced

A Ferndale man was given a five-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to a pair of charges in Flathead District Court.

John Weaver, 41, previously entered pleas of guilty by way of Alford to felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor driving under the influence. The Alford pleas allowed him to accept conviction while maintaining his innocence in order to take advantage of a plea agreement.

That plea agreement included the amending of a felony drunk driving charge to the pair of charges.

A year ago several Flathead County deputies made contact with John 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 then 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. He refused field sobriety tests and a breath sample but admitted he’d been drinking.

The five-year suspended sentence was handed down by Flathead District Judge Ted Lympus for the criminal endangerment conviction. Weaver was also sentenced to six months in the Flathead County Detention Center, also suspended, to run concurrently with the five-year sentence.