Carbon County court — DUI
Five people entered guilty pleas in Carbon County court on Thursday to driving under the influence and related charges.
President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II accepted the pleas from the following:
Richard David Kennedy, 33, of Tamaqua, was arrested on Oct. 1, 2017, along Bridge Street by Lehighton police. He refused a test. He was charged with DUI of a controlled substance.
He also entered a plea to one count of possession of a controlled substance, cocaine. That arrest occurred on Nov. 9, 2015, along Broadway by Jim Thorpe police. Police responded to a crash in which Kennedy was the driver and had crashed, hitting a parked vehicle.
Kennedy is currently an inmate in the county prison on the charges and has a detainer filed against by Luzerne County officials.
On the drug count Nanovic sentenced him to serve one to 12 months in prison, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use.
Sentencing on the DUI charge was deferred because Kennedy needs a drug and alcohol evaluation.
Lawrence Elmer Fredericks, 54 of Tamaqua, was arrested on May 3, 2017, along Route 248 at Parryville by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.
Sentencing was deferred so Fredericks can obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and also apply for placement in the county’s Intermediate Punishment Program, house arrest.
Richardo Lopez, 37, of Allentown, was arrested on July 4, 2016, along Pohopoco Drive in Franklin Township by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. He also pleaded to driving under suspension.
Sentencing was deferred because Lopez needs a drug and alcohol evaluation.
Shawn A. Hertzke, 46, of Nazareth, was arrested on July 1, 2017, along Route 248 in Franklin Township by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed a 0.14 BAC.
He was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, a fine of $500 and one-year license suspension.
He began the jail term immediately.
Kevin Henry Pechacek, 28, of Scranton, was arrested on May 5, 2017, along Route 248 by Franklin Township police. A test revealed a 0.09 BAC.
He was sentenced to serve five days to six months in jail, a fine of $300 and one-year license suspension.
He will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on May 7.
Jeffrey David Judge, 45, of Palmerton, was arrested on Sept. 30, 2017, along Route 248 at Parryville by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed a 0.20 BAC.
He was sentenced to serve 48 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $500 and one-year license suspension.
He will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. on May 29.
Boating arrest
William A. Bushnell, 52, of Perkiomenville, Montgomery County, pleaded to two summary offenses of negligent operating of a watercraft and violation of commonwealth rules — consuming alcohol on commonwealth property.
He was arrested on July 2, 2017, at Beltzville State Park in Franklin Township by park rangers. A charge of incapable of safety operating a watercraft after imbibing alcohol or refusal of test, a misdemeanor, was dropped in a plea bargain.
Nanovic imposed fines of $300 on each count plus costs.
Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and follow any recommendation of their drug and alcohol evaluation.
