PORT ANGELES — Sequim Deputy Mayor Dennis Smith has asked for deferred prosecution in a driving-under-the-influence case, Clallam County District Court Administrator Keith Wills said Tuesday.
Smith, 68, was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol after the vehicle he was driving rear-ended another vehicle in the traffic circle at Port Williams Road and Sequim-Dungeness Way on Dec. 14.
No one was injured in the wreck.
Sequim police detected the odor of intoxicants and arrested Smith. The case was turned over to the State Patrol to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Smith pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge Dec. 19.
He requested a deferred prosecution through his attorney Jan. 27, Wills said.
Subsequent court hearings will be held each Monday until Judge Rick Porter rules on deferred prosecution for Smith, Wills said, adding that he did not know when Porter would rule.
Deferred prosecution in a DUI case involves substance abuse treatment, urinalysis tests and a requirement to use an ignition interlock device to operate a vehicle.
If a defendant meets the requirements of deferred prosecution, charges are dismissed in five years.
Failure to follow through with deferred prosecution results in a guilty verdict.
“Deferred prosecution is one of my favorite things because it’s incredibly successful with intelligent people who have enough money to follow through on it,” Sequim City Attorney Craig Ritchie said.
“Typically, it changes lives. I’ve had a number of clients who have told me it changed their lives for the better.”
Ritchie described deferred prosecution as a “win-win” for defendants and taxpayers because it has minimal recidivism and reduces jail costs.
The results of a toxicology report to determine Smith’s blood-alcohol level were not immediately available Tuesday.
A public records request is pending with the State Patrol.
Smith, an Air Force retiree, was appointed to the City Council in 2012. He ran unopposed in 2013.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
