Carbon County Judge Joseph J. Matika presided over DUI court recently, accepting pleas from defendants in pending driving under the influence cases, and imposing sentences on defendants who previously entered guilty pleas to DUI and related charges.

Those appearing before Matika included:

Keith A. Washeim,

49, of Lehighton, who was arrested on May 24 by state police at Lehighton along Bridge Street in Weissport. The police report indicated methamphetamine was found.

Washeim pleaded to one count each of driving under suspension and possession of drug paraphernalia. Dropped in a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office were charges of DUI and possession of a controlled substance. It was noted Washeim has six or more prior driving under suspension convictions.

On the suspension count Matika sentenced him to serve 30 days to six months in jail and pay a fine of $1,000. On the drug charge he was placed on probation for a year, concurrent with the suspension count.

He was also ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment and render 50 hours of community service.

He will begin the jail term at 9 p.m. on Oct. 9 and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.

Theron David Jones,

24, of Palmerton, appeared to plead guilty to resisting arrest for an incident on May 6, 2019, filed by state police at Lehighton, for an incident along Hahns Dairy Road in Lower Towamensing Township.

He previously pleaded to DUI for an incident on Aug. 8, 2015, also filed by state police at Lehighton.

On the DUI charge he was sentenced to serve 15 days in jail and then placed on restrictive probation for DUI for six months. He was given credit for 15 days spent in an inpatient rehabilitation program and paroled. He must also spend 30 days on home electronic monitoring, pay a fine of $1,000 and one-year license suspension.

On the resisting charge he was placed on probation for a year, consecutive to the DUI charge, and ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and render a total of 75 hours of community service.

Jose L. Leon,

45, of Maryville, Tennessee, was arrested on Oct. 27, 2017, by Lehighton police along First Street. A test revealed a 0.08 BAC. His plea was done via Zoom from his home in Tennessee.

A first offense, he was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.

James A. Hoffman,

67, of Palmerton, was arrested on March 30 by state police at Lehighton along Route 248 in East Penn Township. A test revealed a 0.12 BAC.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.

Jeffrey Scott Borger,

50, of Kunkletown, was arrested on Dec. 22, 2019, along Route 209 by Franklin Township police. A test revealed a 0.30 BAC.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.

Kelly Nicole Michael,

43, of Albrightsville, was arrested on Aug. 7, 2018, by state police at Fern Ridge along Route 534 in Penn Forest Township. A 5-year-old female was in the vehicle but a charge of endangering the welfare of a child was dropped in a plea bargain.

She was placed on probation for two years and ordered to pay a fine of $500, 18-month license suspension, supply a DNA sample and render 100 hours of community service.

William Dee Weir,

58, of Norristown, was arrested on June 4, 2019, by state police at the Pocono barracks along the turnpike. He also pleaded to driving under suspension, DUI related.

He is currently serving a DUI sentence in Montgomery County.

On the DUI charge he was sentenced to serve 90 days to 60 months in prison, pay a fine of $1,500, license suspended for 18 months, supply a DNA sample and render 100 hours of community service.

On the suspension count he was sentenced to serve 30 days to six months in prison, concurrent with the DUI charge, and pay a fine of $1,000.

He will begin serving the jail term at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 from Monday to Wednesday for 45 consecutive weekends.

Jonathan Edward Zerby,

28, of Palmerton, was arrested on Aug. 30, 2019, along Fifth Street in Palmerton by state police at Lehighton.

He was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 and render 25 hours of community service.

Brent C. Leibenguth,

36, of Jim Thorpe, was arrested on July 2, 2019, by Jim Thorpe police after being involved in a crash along North Street. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance. He previously entered a guilty plea.

Matika sentenced him to serve six months in the restrictive probation for DUI program with 15 days on electronic monitoring, pay a fine of $1,000, license suspended for a year and render 25 hours of community service.

Daniel Dagorn,

64, of Lehighton, was arrested on Sept. 16, 2017, by Lehighton police along Bridge Street. A test revealed a 0.25 BAC.

Sentencing was deferred so he could apply for placement in the restrictive probation program, house arrest.

Eric James Buskirk,

36, of Danielsville, was arrested on Sept. 1, 2018, by state police at Lehighton along Route 209 in Franklin Township, for DUI of a controlled substance.

Sentencing was deferred so he can obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation.

Each defendant must also pay court costs of about $1,000, a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation and follow any recommendation of their drug and alcohol evaluation.