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Carbon County court - DUI

A total of 10 defendants were sentenced on Tuesday on driving under the influence charges.

The 10 previously entered the pleas before Judge Steven R. Serfass, who imposed the sentences.Whitley Marie Hibbler, 28, of Lehighton, was arrested on June 11, 2016, along Mahoning Street by Mahoning Township police. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. In another case she pleaded to possession of drug paraphernalia for an incident on March 3, following a vehicle stop by Lehighton police. She was a passenger in the vehicle.On the DUI charge Serfass sentenced her to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and a one-year license suspension. She was given credit for three days spent in an inpatient drug rehabilitation program and paroled.She was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $12,701.87, zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use and render a total of 125 hours of community service.On the possession count she was placed on probation for a year consecutive to the DUI charge with the same conditions.John Hower Jr., 32, of Lehighton, was arrested on Aug. 22, 2016, by Lehighton police. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.He was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail followed by 59 months in the county's Intermediate Punishment Program - house arrest - with the first 60 days on electronic monitoring.He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months and render a total of 150 hours of community service.On a drug paraphernalia charge he was placed on probation for a year, concurrent with the DUI count.He will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. Sept. 8.Louis Lindsey Jr., 21, of Freeland, Luzerne County, had pleaded to two counts of DUI.He was arrested on April 1, 2016, along Route 903 in Jim Thorpe by state police at Lehighton; and on June 18, 2016, by state police along Forest Inn Road in Lower Towamensing Township. In both cases a test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.On the first count he was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and a one-year license suspension.On the second DUI he was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail followed by 59 months in the IPP with the first 60 days on electronic monitoring, a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months and render a total of 125 hours of community service. The jail terms run concurrently.He will begin the prison term at 4 p.m. Sept. 13 and serve it on consecutive 48-hour periods of Wednesday to Friday.Damon David Trine, 30, of Lansford, had pleaded to two counts of DUI and one of prohibited offensive weapon.He was arrested for DUI on Aug. 11, 2015, by Lehighton police and on Oct. 21, 2015, by Palmerton police. In both stops a test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. The weapons count occurred on July 23, 2016, in Lehighton. Police stopped a vehicle in which Trine was a passenger. He was found to have in his possession two machetes. For the October DUI Trine had been placed in the county's Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program but was revoked for violating conditions.On the first DUI he was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and a one-year license suspension.On the second DUI he was sentenced to serve 90 days to five years in jail, a fine of $1,500 and a license suspension of 18 months.On the weapons count he was sentenced to serve three to one day less 24 months in prison. All terms run concurrently.He was also ordered to render a total of 200 hours of community service.On the first DUI he was given credit for 41 days and paroled. On the second DUI he was credit for 46 days.He will begin serving the remaining 44 days on Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.Ashley Marie Bahr, 28, of Wilkes-Barre, was arrested on April 1, 2013, along Route 209 in Franklin Township by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. She also pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.She was previously placed in the county's ARD program but was revoked from it for violating conditions.On the DUI count she was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and a one-year license suspension. On the drug count she was placed on probation for a year, concurrent with the DUI charge.She was also ordered to render a total of 75 hours of community service.She was given credit for 26 days spent in an inpatient rehab program and paroled.Bethann M. Neff, 30, of Shenandoah, was arrested on Sept. 24, 2016, along Constitution Avenue by Lehighton police. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.She was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension. She was also ordered to render 25 hours of community service.On a summary count of driving under suspension she was fined $500.She was given credit for three days spent in jail on the charge and paroled.She is currently an inmate in the county prison awaiting action on a probation violation petition filed by the adult probation office.Vernon Edgar Fegley, 69, of Palmerton, was arrested on Jan. 28 along Delaware Avenue by Palmerton police. A test revealed a 0.18 BAC.He was sentenced to serve 48 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $500, a one-year license suspension and render 25 hours of community service. On a careless driving charge he was fined $25 and costs.He is currently an inmate in the county prison on detainers filed by Northampton County. After he serves the 48 hours he will be transferred to Northampton County prison.Marc Joseph Tita, 36, of Lehighton, and formerly of Tamaqua, was arrested on March 20, 2016, by state police at Lehighton. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.He was sentenced to serve 90 days to five years in jail, a fine of $1,500, 18-month license suspension and render a total of 100 hours of community service.On a driving under suspension - DUI-related charge, he was sentenced to serve 30 to 60 days in prison, concurrent with the DUI count.He is currently an inmate at the state correction institution at Camp Hill, Dauphin County, awaiting evaluation for placement in the state intermediate punishment program on charges in Schuylkill County.Keith Andrew Weaver, 56, of Palmerton, was arrested on Aug. 19, 2016, along Fourth Street by Palmerton police. A test revealed a 0.10 BAC. He was involved in a chase with police but crashed his motorcycle into another vehicle.He was sentenced to serve 48 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $500 and one-year license suspension.On a driving under suspension - DUI-related charge, he was sentenced to serve 30 to 60 days in jail and a fine of $1,000. He must serve the full 60 days. The two terms run concurrently. He must also render 25 hours of community service.He will begin the jail term at 9 a.m. Sept. 15 and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.Joshua David Lawrence, 22, of Lehighton, also pleaded to counts of receiving stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia in addition to DUI.He was arrested for DUI on March 20, 2016, by state police at Lehighton along Route 903 in Jim Thorpe. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.He was arrested on the receiving charge on Oct. 5, 2014, by Mahoning Township police for an incident at the McDonald's restaurant. He admitted stealing $100 from the purse of an employee of the restaurant, where he also worked. The drug counts stems from an April 19, 2016, incident that occurred in the 200 block of South First Street, filed by Lehighton. In that case he was originally charged with seven counts of possession of paraphernalia.On the DUI charge he was sentenced to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension; on the receiving count he was sentenced to time-served, 122 days, to 18 months in jail and make restitution of $100; and on the drug count one year probation concurrent. He must also render 75 hours of community service.On the DUI count he was given credit for 90 days already served and paroled.Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole/probation and follow any recommendations of their drug and alcohol evaluation.