District court upholds city DUI case

A 28-year-old Whitefish woman’s sentence in Columbia Falls City Court was upheld in Flathead County District Court on May 31 with some amended charges.

According to police records, Rachel Hansen was arrested in the O’Brien’s Liquor and Wine parking lot on July 14, 2011, at about 5:41 p.m. following a minor vehicle accident.

After being arrested, handcuffed and placed in the back of the patrol car, Hansen allegedly kicked out a window, and the officer used his pepper foam spray on her. A breathalyzer test showed Hansen had a 0.204 blood-alcohol content.

Hansen was charged in city court with six misdemeanors, including DUI per se No. 2, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer, driving with a suspended driver’s license and no insurance No. 4.

Columbia Falls City Court Judge Tina Gordon sentenced Hansen in absentia after several delays to a total of $3,110 in net fines, two weeks in the Flathead County Detention Center and 2 1/2 months house arrest.

Hansen was also ordered to relinquish her vehicle license plates and registration, install an alcohol interlock device on the vehicle’s ignition, undergo a chemical dependency evaluation and enroll in the state’s 24/7 alcohol monitoring program for three months.

Hansen’s public defender, Jessica Pollan, appealed the sentence to district court. Hansen, meanwhile, enrolled in an alcohol treatment program at Prairie St. John’s in Fargo, N.D.

A plea agreement was reached with the county attorney’s office on May 16. Judge Gordon dismissed the criminal mischief charge.

District Court Judge Katherine Curtis maintained the rest of the city court sentence with some changes. She suspended another $500 of the net fines and ordered Hansen to spend four three-day weekends in the county jail.