Wrong-way driver on I-94 pleads guilty to 3rd drunken driving offense
Scott Dean
Fox 2 photo
Scott Dean, 46, pleaded guilty this week to operating while intoxicated, third offense and third-degree fleeing and eluding in front of Judge Archie Brown, according to court records.
Dean was arrested in August after driving the wrong way down I-94, colliding with a vehicle that was carrying children and hitting a Michigan State Police patrol car after drinking heavily at a Kid Rock concert.
Dean had been charged previously with five drunken driving offenses and convicted twice, state records show.
He will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Washtenaw County Trial Court, 200 N. Main St.
Dean was originally charged with resisting and obstructing police, failing to stop at an accident resulting in property damage and operating with a suspended license, second offense, in addition to the two counts that generated the guilty pleas.
As a part of the plea deal, the additional three charges will be dropped at sentencing, according to court records.
According to police, Dean drank heavily at the Kid Rock concert on Aug. 13 and was arrested early the next morning when he drove his red sedan the wrong way down I-94 near Scio Church Road.
Police said Dean was eastbound in the westbound lanes and hit a Jaguar carrying an adult driver and three children. In the process of fleeing the scene, Dean then struck a concrete median barrier, police said.
A Michigan State Police trooper deliberately struck Dean’s sedan with his patrol car in order to get him to stop, police said. Dean again attempted to flee the scene until the trooper pushed his car into a ditch to force him to stop and arrest him, according to police.
Dean suffered minor injuries from the incident and the passengers in the Jaguar were not seriously injured, police said.
Dean faces between one and five years in prison, up to one year of probation, up to $5,000 in fines and up to 180 days of community service for the OWI third offense conviction. For the fleeing and eluding conviction, Dean faces up to 5 years in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
russellr
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 1:15 p.m.
Why not let him off and try for 7 or 8 drunk driving offenses. Maybe next time he will kill a whole family and you will do' something about it!!!
Sooze
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 1:04 p.m.
In 1974 my brother and his band-mate were killed by a drunk driver with a suspended license, and with previous accidents, crossing the center line on a two-lane road. Now we have a guy going the wrong way on the expressway who could have killed an adult and three children. Not much happened to my brother's killer and 37 years later not much will happen to this man. Drunk driving is still not taken seriously and drunks still drive without licenses and they still kill people. There was no fatality here, just by some miraculous luck.
clownfish
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 12:43 p.m.
I agree people like this need to be kept off the streets and punished. But, with large segments of our population opposed to taxation, how do you all propose to pay for extended incarceration?
j hampton
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 12:02 p.m.
I don't understand the criticisms of Judge Brown. The "plea" deal was between the Prosecutor and the defendant's attorney. The counts that were dismissed were minor, compared to the counts to which he plead guilty. Judge Brown will be presented with sentencing guidelines that dictate how much of "the book" Judge Brown can throw at him. Blame the drunk. Blame the bar tenders. Blame the legislature for not passing out life sentences for drunk driving and for not building and funding 10 more prisons to house all of the drunks. Blame the endless marketing and profiterring from serving and selling alcohol. But don't blame Judge Brown.
Sallyxyz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
"Dean was originally charged with resisting and obstructing police, failing to stop at an accident resulting in property damage and operating with a suspended license, second offense, in addition to the two counts that generated the guilty pleas." Which 3 of these do you consider minor offenses? As long as offenses are dismissed, criminals will not serve time for the full extent of their crimes.
Sallyxyz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:26 p.m.
"The counts that were dismissed were minor, compared to the counts to which he plead guilty." These were previous offenses that he committed. Why are they dismissed and not kept as part of his sentencing? I don't understand why ANY of the previous offenses are dismissed!
John of Saline
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 8:46 p.m.
I'll bet he still thinks he doesn't have an alcohol problem.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 8:40 p.m.
When this person kills someone - and he will - the responsibility falls on Archie Brown's shoulders.
Sallyxyz
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.
"As a part of the plea deal, the additional three charges will be dropped at sentencing, according to court records." A plea deal? For what purpose?? Why are these criminals who commit multiple offenses being "bargained down" and dropping charges. I just don't get it. Can someone explain this? "Dean had been charged previously with five drunken driving offenses and convicted twice, state records show." Throw the book at this repeat offender before he kills someone!
Ross
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 7:29 p.m.
5 years in prison is a long time. I don't find that unfair here. What I DO have a problem with is only one year of probation after he's out? This guy should have an ankle tether for several years thereafter and in-car breathalyzer for the REST OF HIS LIFE.
MixedStock
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 1:15 p.m.
A person on an alcohol tether can come and go as they please but they have to be home and within three feet of the reporting unit at prescribed times for data collection from the alcohol tether.
Gramma
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 10:58 p.m.
The tether is only given if the person is restricted from leaving his home during certain hours. Unfortunately, there are ways to get around the breathalyzer. Use someone else's car, etc.
Gramma
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 10:55 p.m.
On a 1-10, you can get out in 10 months.
Sallyxyz
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 7:40 p.m.
It's one to five years in prison, not a definite 5. The way things work in Washtenaw Cty, it will end up as one, most likely. Remember, Wash Cty is known for being soft on crime and issuing slaps on the wrist for serious offenses.
sparty2219
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 6:05 p.m.
some people never learn.....
Betty
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 6:05 p.m.
Is it just me or does the "3rd Offense" drunk driver's 5 years seem proportional to the "peeping tom's" 25 years? <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/man-who-looked-into-apartment-windows-near-u-m-while-women-changed-to-serve-up-to-25-years-in-prison/">http://www.annarbor.com/news/man-who-looked-into-apartment-windows-near-u-m-while-women-changed-to-serve-up-to-25-years-in-prison/</a> Both are deserving of punishment, but the DDing offense is far more likely to end in someones death then the peeping Tom. Give the DD the 25 years and the PTom 5-10. Maybe its just me?
Betty
Mon, Oct 3, 2011 : 11:24 p.m.
@rainbow I'm a little uncomfortable with your DD naivety. If you actually read what I wrote...I assume reading is an option for you... "Both are deserving..." Peepers = very unlikely to end in someone's death DD 3rd offense = very likely to end in death Recidivism rate for sex offenders 5.3% (read=You are mistaken "...peepers usually graduate to more deviant..." behavior<a href="http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsorp94.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsorp94.pdf</a> Recidivism rate for drunk drivers 27% <a href="http://www.ncsconline.org/WC/Publications/KIS_DrugCtRecidivismStudy2002.pdf" rel='nofollow'>http://www.ncsconline.org/WC/Publications/KIS_DrugCtRecidivismStudy2002.pdf</a> You could not be more WRONG.
rainbow
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 11:12 p.m.
I am slightly concerned about the peeper love here....if I am not mistaken,peepers usually graduate to more deviant behavior. I would bet the rapist(s) that is currently in our area has done his share of peeping. I say down with peepers as well.
Tesla
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 6:34 p.m.
No. It's not just you. Then there's that guy Bolen that got two years or less for attacking the jogger who is back in jail (Possibly out on bail by now) for an alleged incident. <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime/man-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-ann-arbor-woman-has-prior-sexual-assault-conviction/">http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime/man-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-ann-arbor-woman-has-prior-sexual-assault-conviction/</a>
a2phiggy
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 6:03 p.m.
These stories, along with follow-up articles on sentencing, are what can help inform voters on judicial elections -- too many times we know nothing about judges and their records, and skip the entire ballot section. It's time to step up and take note of patterns of penalties. In my opinion, based on the facts available publicly, this individual needs to be put away, get treatment, and have plenty of time to 'reflect' on what he has done over, and over, and over again.
Tru2Blu76
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:29 p.m.
It would be interesting to see an estimate of the number of drivers "out there" with suspended licenses. Suspended licenses do not "prevent driving." OTH: putting all offenders and potential offenders in jail isn't even close to being practical or doable. Maybe the Ancient Romans had the best idea: take criminals into custody and force them to perform deadly feats while using gate receipts to pay for the "jail time." A daily run in a demolition derby would be the modernized version - until the crowd "paroled" them or... they were unable to report for roll call the next day.
thecompound
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:20 p.m.
Obviously only being behind bars will keep him from being behind the wheel.
Tesla
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:07 p.m.
I have a feeling there will be no more plea deals for this dude. I expect and we as a community deserve that this guy get the ten years. 5 on each count. Keep us posted on the sentencing Kyle.
tinkerbell
Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 3:20 a.m.
If he has prior felony convictions, he can be charged with Habitual Offender which increases the maximum. Kyle, there is a typo in your report. If he is sentenced to probation, it would be 1 to 5 years not less than 1 year as your article implies.
Sallyxyz
Sat, Oct 1, 2011 : 2:28 p.m.
Why were plea deals made in the first place!!
Tesla
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.
Well that's a buzz kill.
Roadman
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.
There is no consecutive sentencing on charges like these. Further, under the "3/5ths Rule" the maximum sentence he can receive is three to five years in state prison.
ffej440
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:59 p.m.
I don't understand why do plea deals with slam dunk convictions. In the past judges would "throw the book" at you if you went to trial and were found guilty. That alone would result in a guilty plea with a sentence agreement for ALL charges. What is up with "Lets make a deal" for cases that are easy convictions. The message being sent is to rack up your crime spree cause you can deal most charges out, spending less time in jail than you should for what you have done. I wonder if the other three that he was charged with in past were also dealt out in a plea deal ?
Roadman
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
The charges dropped will not likely affect his time to be served and will help the court and the prosecutor alleviate an already overcrowded trial docket. Police can be on patrols instead of in-court waiting to testify or be involved in trial preparation. Oakland County tried a no-plea bargain policy and all it did was geenrate huge numbers of jury trials and cause court dockets to be clogged resulting in years before cases went to trial.
RJA
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:59 p.m.
That's IT ?? Up to 5 years? Our court system really does suck!
bobr
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 7:37 p.m.
The maximum penalties are set by the legislature not the court system.
Roadman
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:19 p.m.
Nobody was killed or seriously hurt. That is why.
Tesla
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
He was Born Free but won't be. This guy needs to be locked up for the max. On a side note. Why is this the first we are hearing about this?
Tesla
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:03 p.m.
My apologies Kyle. You certainly did. I didn't realize the highlighted blue text was a link to the previous story.
Kyle Feldscher
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:57 p.m.
Tesla, I linked to two previous stories we did about this incident when it first happened and there was at least one other story written that I did not link to.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:35 p.m.
would it be too much to ask for the third strike law to be utilized to it's fullest extent? People like this kill thousands a year and need to be kept off our roads since they can't seem to control themselves.
Yurmama
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:33 p.m.
3 DUI's = 5 years and at EMU 1 umbrella smack = 4 years?
Tesla
Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:58 p.m.
Not to mention up to 25 years for window peepery. I'm getting rid of my umbrella and taking out my contact lenses!