Colorado Judge Charged With Drunk Driving Second Time

A Baca County judge from southeast Colorado was arrested for a second time in two years for drunk driving. She is now facing mandatory jail sentence after being charged with DUI according to a news release on May 11^th from the District Attorney’s (DA) Office for the 18^th Judicial District.

County Judge Was on Probation

According to the release, 62 year old Debra Gunkel was arrested in Kansas on Aug. 17^th, 2019 for the second time in two years. She was on probation at the time of the release for a 2018 DUI conviction. She was arrested on January 14^th, 2018 by the Prowers County Sheriff’s Office.

Gunkel’s blood alcohol level was 0.137 and she pleaded guilty to her DUI charge in Prowers County, Colorado. However, Gunkel was offered a plea deal in 2018. Her DUI conviction was to be erased if she successfully completed probation of two years.

Gunkel Violated Terms of Probation

On May 7^th, 2020 Gunkel pleaded guilty to violating the terms of her probation. The DA release claimed that Gunkel is expected to plead guilty to her DUI charges in Kansas as well. Her hearing is set for June and jail time will be mandatory.

District Attorney George Brauchler stated that nobody was above the law – though many believe Hillary, Rice, Comey, and a few others seem to be above the law but this is another topic. This included elected officials, judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement from Colorado. Brauchler said it was necessary for people to stop drinking and getting behind the wheel to reduce fatal episodes of drunk driving.

Gunkler who is now a defendant sat in judgment of dozens of drunk drivers in her courtroom since 2010. Owing her position, she was offered a second chance to make amends. She was also offered a probationary vehicle to help her stay the course. However, she chose to squander the opportunities afforded to her and now it was time to pay the consequences.

Drunk Driving Penalties in Colorado

Colorado is notoriously strict against people driving under the influence. This makes it important to seek assistance from an experienced drunk driving accident lawyer. Motorists arrested with a BAC of 0.08% or higher should get in touch with skilled DUI lawyers as soon as possible.

DUI penalties in Colorado involve 5 days to a year in prison along with license suspension. Skilled drunk driving accident attorneys can build strong cases to reduce penalties or avoid convictions completely. First time offenders may also need to pay a fine of $600 – $1000.

Drivers with an exceptionally high BAC (0.2% or higher) should not waste any time in consulting with a DUI attorney. This is because offenders are required to serve a mandatory jail sentence of 10 days.