[1]James G. Blunt is shown his seat in Lewis County Superior Court
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 51-year-old driver with a half-finished Mike’s Hard Lemonade in his vehicle who allegedly told the deputy who stopped him for speeding he’d had about four hits of marijuana roughly five minutes earlier, was arrested for driving under the influence early yesterday east of Chehalis.
But James G. Blunt, who said he was headed home to Mossyrock, was arrested for felony DUI, not the more common offense that is a gross misdemeanor.
Back in 2001, Blunt had fatally struck a bicyclist near Mossyrock, while he was intoxicated and was convicted in Lewis County Superior Court of vehicular homicide while under the influence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He was booked into the Lewis County Jail early yesterday and then brought before a judge that afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Blye asked the judge to hold Blunt on $25,000 bail, noting the defendant had three DUI convictions even before the deadly collision in 2001. Temporary defense attorney Rachael Tiller requested it be set with a $5,000 unsecured bond, relating that her client had lived in Mossyrock nearly his whole life.
Judge James Lawler set bail at $50,000, citing community safety concerns.
Lewis County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said the possible penalty for felony DUI is 10 years in prison. Any person who gets arrested for driving under the influence and has ever in their past been convicted of vehicular homicide or vehicular assault – because of intoxication – can be charged with felony DUI, he said.
Alternatively, a person who has had three DUI convictions and is arrested for driving under the influence a fourth time within a 10-year period, can be also charged with felony DUI, Meagher said.
According to charging documents and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy pulled Blunt over about 1:30 a.m. on Friday on Centralia Alpha Road near Oppelt Road because he was traveling 65 mph in a 50 mph zone.
He didn’t have a valid driver’s license and allegedly told the deputy he’d taken the tabs off his girlfriend’s Mustang and put them on his truck. The Hard Lemonade container in his vehicle was about half empty, and Blunt said that’s all the alcohol he’d had. Field sobriety tests were conducted. Then he was arrested.
Tiller told the judge yesterday she believed he qualified for a court appointed attorney. Judge Lawler appointed Kevin Nelson.
Blunt’s arraignment was scheduled for Thursday.