Judges give repeat DUI offender another chance
A 54-year-old Coeur d’Alene man whose fifth drunken driving charge made national news four years ago was back in court this week facing another drunk driving felony and a probation violation.
Glenn McNutt was sentenced to a maximum eight years in prison Thursday for the probation violation stemming from a 2013 felony DUI charge, but First District Judge Richard S. Christensen retained jurisdiction, allowing McNutt to take part in another prison rehabilitation program.
In the 2013 incident, McNutt smashed into multiple vehicles and guardrails on Interstate 90 while traveling in excess of 90 mph through Coeur d’Alene with police on his heels. The police chase came to a halt near the 15th Street exit in Coeur d’Alene. Officers had to smash a car window to unlock the door and get McNutt out of his 2006 Kia passenger car, because McNutt was unresponsive to their commands. The car would not run and had to be towed away.
“He could hardly walk, let alone stand,” according to an officer’s report. “He had difficulty holding his head up.”
Video of the high-speed crashes was recorded by a witness traveling on Interstate 90 that day. That video went viral on social media.
McNutt told Christensen Thursday he had being doing well since being placed on probation after successfully completing a prison rehabilitation program, called a rider, which was part of his felony DUI sentence.
Then, a month before his arrest in January by Kootenai County deputies for his sixth drunken-driving charge, he felt himself slipping.
“I was up in the woods, getting away from people,” McNutt said. “I knew I was going down.”
He was found Jan. 3 on a forest road about 2 miles west of Fernan Saddle with the vehicle he was driving stuck in the snow. Sheriff’s deputies reported McNutt denied having consumed any alcohol, but they determined he was under the influence after giving him a series of field sobriety tests. McNutt gave two breath samples that revealed blood alcohol levels of .197 and .193, more than twice the legal limit to drive a vehicle. McNutt was arrested and charged with his sixth DUI.
Jailed on a $60,000 bond, McNutt was sentenced two days ago by District Judge John T. Mitchell to a five-year fixed prison term on the latest felony DUI. Mitchell retained jurisdiction, giving McNutt a second chance at rehabilitation through the rider program. He will again be placed on probation if he successfully completes the regime.
The latest felony kicked into motion the probation violation for the 2013 DUI conviction.
Deputy prosecutor Donna Gardner asked the court Thursday to impose the original sentence for McNutt, which would have amounted to a maximum eight years in prison on charges of eluding and felony DUI, but her recommendation was countered by public defender Ben Onosko.
Calling his client’s alcohol addiction, “one of the worst I have seen in a while,” Onosko asked the court to send McNutt on a rider to help him get over his addiction.
“Probation is still willing to work with him,” Onosko said. “He does want to beat this addiction.”
Christensen deferred to Mitchell’s earlier sentence, which included a rider.
He questioned the presentence report which recommended McNutt be given another shot at rehabilitation.
“I don’t know what all it’s going to take,” Christensen said.
McNutt has been booked into Kootenai County jail nine times. His arrests started in 2006 with a charge of operating a vessel under the influence. He has been arrested for possession of paraphernalia, multiple DUIs (felony and misdemeanor), felony eluding and reckless driving, in addition to the probation violation related to his Jan. 3 arrest.