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Posted on Sun, May 30, 2010 : 4:16 p.m.

Woman sentenced in 11-year-old drunken driving case in Saline

By Art Aisner

An Oakland County woman who avoided prosecution on a drunken driving offense in Saline for 11 years was sentenced to jail.

Court records show Pamela Jewett, 55, was ordered to serve one month and five days in the Washtenaw County Jail for her third offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The sentence is identical to the number of days she served in the jail after she left the Washtenaw County courthouse before her trial could begin in April. Circuit Judge Archie Brown credited her for the time served and ordered Jewett to pay more than $2,570 in fines.

The Royal Oak woman pleaded no contest to one count of operating a vehicle while under the influence earlier this month. She was arrested in May 1999 after other motorists reported her driving erratically on Michigan Avenue in Saline shortly after 10 a.m. She was barefoot, was driving with a revoked license and had a blood-alcohol level of .20, more than double the legal limit to drive in Michigan, police reports said.

She was released after sobering up but failed to appear for any court dates. Authorities tracked her down in February, and she was ordered to stand trial following a preliminary hearing, officials said.

Jewett was late to her trial on April 20 and left the courthouse after learning a bench warrant was issued for her arrest. She turned herself two weeks later and entered into the plea agreement.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.