Woman with .321 blood alcohol level gets year in jail

Published 11:40 am Friday, December 14, 2012

CASSOPOLIS — A Berrien County woman had four times the legal amount of alcohol in her system when she crashed her sports utility vehicle into a field off of Phillips Road in Dowagiac this spring.

“You aren’t only destroying yourself with you alcohol problem, you pose a significant danger to others,” said Cass County Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge before sentencing Arlene Daisy, 47, to a year in jail and two years probation Friday during sentencing hearings.

Police found Daisy, a Coloma resident, passed out and slumped over the steering wheel of her vehicle, which was still running but stuck in a cornfield June 26.

She registered a 0.321 percent blood alcohol content — four times the legal limit of 0.08 in Michigan.

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said Daisy first used alcohol at age 3 and marijuana at age 5.

“Those are the lowest numbers I’ve seen,” Fitz said.

She earlier pleaded guilty to felony operating while intoxicated third and misdemeanor open container.

She gets credit for one day served.

Daisy’s criminal record includes three felonies and 12 misdemeanors.