Wanted man arrested on multiple warrants

COEUR d’ALENE — Police arrested a man who was wanted on multiple warrants for allegedly violating the terms of his probation.

Merrill C. Smith, 32, of Coeur d’Alene, is being held on a total of $75,000 bail.

Smith pleaded guilty in accordance with Alford to domestic battery, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of six months in jail, in October 2018.

The charge stemmed from a month prior, when Smith allegedly threatened his girlfriend with a knife during an argument.

By entering an Alford plea, Smith did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him if the case went to trial.

Judge Robert Burton sentenced Smith to 180 days in jail and placed him on unsupervised probation for two years.

In a separate case, Smith also pleaded guilty to excessive DUI in October 2018.

Excessive DUI refers to a blood alcohol level of 0.2 or higher. Smith was reportedly arrested after giving breath samples of 0.30 and 0.27.

In lieu of jail time, Smith was sentenced to the Sheriff’s Labor Program and placed on supervised probation for two years. His license was also suspended for one year.

In January 2019, Smith was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and violating the terms of his probation.

Smith reportedly failed to appear for a probation appointment and failed to appear in court in July 2020.

He also reportedly failed to complete his shifts in the Sheriff’s Labor Program.

A total of three $25,000 warrants were issued for Smith’s arrest.

Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies took Smith into custody Wednesday.

Smith must spend 14 days in jail for failing to complete the Sheriff’s Labor Program before he can post bail.