She has had previous DUI offenses.
.Frederick, Md. (KM) It’s off to jail for a Walkersville woman for driving under the influence of alcohol. Carol Ann Wright, 47, was sentenced on Tuesday in Frederick County Circuit Court to seven years in prison, with all but 18-months suspended. “That’s actually the maximum amount of time you can spend locally,” says State’s Attorney Charlie Smith.
He says Wright will serve her time in the local Adult Detention Center.
“This is for yet another DUI that she incurred this year {2016},” he says. “She has multiple DUI’s, DWI’s over the years, but this was particularly egregious.”
Smith says Wright struck a SUV at the intersection of Rt. 26 and Routzahn Way in May, 2016. The driver was waiting out a red light. He says Wright continued to strike the SUV before leaving the scene.
The SUV driver called 911, and another person used a cell phone camera to record the incident, including the license number of Wright’s vehicle.
She was found by police in her car in a field off of Woodsboro Pike and Liberty Road, reeking of alcohol. Smith says Wright failed a field sobriety test. “After she failed it, she became more combative and belligerent. Finally, they had to place her under arrest where she was kicking and screaming, literally, the whole time,” says Smith.
He says Wright punched a female police officer in the face when she was at police headquarters.
Wright was charged with numerous offenses, including assault and driving under the influence. She pleaded guilty in October to 2nd-degree assault and DUI.
Smith says he’s satisfied with Wright’s sentence, noting that she has backup time of about five-years after she’s released from jail. He says if Wright screws up, she can go back to jail and serve the remainder of her suspended sentence. “Judges often like to give backup time because, really, if there’s suspended sentence, there’s no sanction for her once she gets out jail and decides to maybe not pay restitution, not do her mental health treatment, not abstain from alcohol,” he says.
Elsewhere at the Frederick County Court House, the trial of Antonio Lamonte Cottingham began on Tuesday with jury selection and the state and defense presenting opening arguments.
Cottingham was arrested for a home invasion robbery in June, 2016, where a knife was used. The incident occurred in the Country Hill Apartments on Heather Ridge Drive in Frederick.
Smith says the prosecution began presenting its case on Tuesday. ” We began that with playing the defendant’s interview. He made several statements that we thought are pertinent to his guilt in this case,” he says. “We also put in five Country Hill surveillance videos that showed his whereabouts that evening as well, again, we believe, factor into his guilt.”
Smith says the prosecution will continue presenting its case on Wednesday.
By Kevin McManus