By AARON MUELLER
Niles Daily Star

CASSOPOLIS – Bryan Litty of Niles was sentenced to prison Friday at Cass County Circuit Court after being convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated as a third offense and driving with a suspended license.

Litty, 35, received a 23-month to five-year term and is ordered to pay $10,561.50 restitution.

Litty’s sentencing was rescheduled for Friday, because he showed up to court drunk two weeks ago.

Litty was driving on Aug. 15, 2009 at more than 100 miles per hour on Terminal Road in Niles when he crashed into a tree, flipping over his vehicle.

Robert Perkins, a passenger in the vehicle, sustained some injuries. Litty suffered significant injuries and was airlifted to Kalamazoo. He was found to have a blood alcohol content level of 0.26, about three times above the legal limit of 0.08.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Frank Machnik said Litty hasn’t learned his lesson from five previous drunken driving convictions.

“He’s an individual who just doesn’t care,” Machnik said. “He doesn’t care what he does as long as he’s drinking alcohol. The only thing the court can hope to do is protect society from him, because eventually he’s going to kill somebody.”

Defense attorney Dale Blunier said his client is doing better with his alcoholism and asked for a jail sentence rather than prison.

Judge Michael Dodge did not oblige, citing Litty’s multiple previous convictions and failure to report to the pre-sentence interview.

“You have a very serious drinking problem,” Dodge told Litty. “The consequences have been self-destructive. I’m amazed you haven’t killed somebody already.”

Litty was apologetic.

“It’s time for a change,” he said. “I’m too old for this lifestyle. It was a wake up call.”