A Carbon County man, with at least four convictions for driving under the influence, was sentenced to a state prison term on Thursday in the county court.

He was one of five defendants who previously entered pleas to criminal charges to be sentenced by President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II.

Palmerton incident

James E. Serfass, 63, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve 2 to 7 years in a state correctional institution and 3 to 24 months in a state prison on a charge of habitual offender. The terms run concurrently.

On a charge of driving under suspension - DUI related, he was fined $5,000.

He arrested on Dec. 20, 2020, by Palmerton police for DUI of a controlled substance.

His sentencing was done via video from the state correctional institution at Houtzdale, Clearfield County, where he is serving another sentence for a state parole violation. He said he has finished that sentence and was being held at the prison on the Carbon charges.

He was also ordered to supply a DNA sample, pay a fine of $2,500 on the DUI charge, his license was suspended for 18 months and he must pay court costs of over $1,000.

He was given credit for 85 days already served.

Nesquehoning incident

Denise Kennedy, 44, of Nesquehoning, was spared a jail term after her mother convinced the court to give her a second chance.

Kennedy previously pleaded in four pending cases to two counts of criminal trespass, felony 3s, and one count each of access device fraud, a felony 3; and harassment, a misdemeanor 3.

Nanovic placed her on probation for a total of 3 years on all counts.

She was charged on the trespass cases for incidents on Nov. 25, 2020, at the Panther Valley Elementary School; and on May 23, at the school again.

The harassment charge is for an incident involving her sister-in-law on Aug. 1, 2020; and access count for incidents involving her sister-in-law, and credit card accounts.

Police said the incidents, in part, were due to her estranged relationship with her husband. The two are separated, but no divorce action has been filed.

Kennedy’s mother told the court her daughter had changed her life and has not been in any trouble since her arrest. She is also getting counseling for a drug problem. Nanovic told Kennedy he was prepared to send her to prison, but her mother convinced him to give her probation.

Nanovic told her the relationship with her husband appears to be over, and she should move on.

He also ordered her to make restitution totaling $1,018.92, have no contact with her husband, attend and successfully complete an anger management course, get both drug and alcohol and mental health evaluations and follow any recommendations for treatment and supply a DNA sample.

Other cases

Ronald Miller, 70, of Weatherly, was placed on probation for 6 months and ordered to pay a fine of $300 on a DUI of controlled substance charge. On a driving under suspension - DUI related count he was fined $1,000.

He arrested on Feb. 27 by Weatherly police.

Each defendant must also pay court costs of over $1,000 and a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole or probation.

Beth A. Hosier, 36, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve 2 to 12 months in prison on three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested on the drug counts for an incident on Sept. 21, 2018, by Lehighton police along Route 443, she was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police.

The other two drug counts were the result of an incident on Feb. 26, 2019, also filed by Lehighton police following a stop in the 400 block of North Third Street.

She was a passenger in the vehicle that was stopped.

She was also scheduled to be sentenced on a DUI charge but that was continued because she has not obtained a drug and alcohol evaluation.

She is currently an inmate in the county prison.

Nanovic also imposed zero tolerance for drug use and gave her credit for 29 days already served on the charges.

Nelson R. Stanley, 36, of Lehighton, was placed in the Restrictive Conditions of Probation program (house arrest) for 6 months on a DUI of a controlled substance charge. The first 10 days will be on electronic monitoring. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and license suspended for a year.

On a driving under suspension count - DUI related, he was placed on monitoring for 90 days and fined $500. The monitoring terms run concurrently.

He was arrested on March 31 by state police in Lehighton.