Newman man sent to prison for driving drunk while on DUI probation

A 25-year-old Newman man has been sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison for driving drunk while on probation for a 2011 drunken driving conviction.

Jose Mejia Gonzalez on April 22 admitted in court he violated probation while driving in January with a blood alcohol content of 0.21 percent, nearly three times the legal limit, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. The defendant pleaded no contest to felony driving under the influence of alcohol.

Prosecutors said Newman police on Jan. 14 pulled over Gonzalez for driving without his headlights on, before he admitted to consuming alcohol and failed a field sobriety test.

Gonzalez 2011 felony DUI conviction, which is considered a strike under state’s “Three Strikes” law, doubled the defendant’s sentence in his latest DUI conviction.

Prosecutors said Gonzalez on June 4, 2010, failed to negotiate a turn and caused his vehicle to overturn, injuring his three passengers. Gonzalez told California Highway Patrol officers he had been drinking alcohol, and he failed a field sobriety test. A blood test showed his blood alcohol content was 0.10 percent, above the legal limit of .08 percent.

On July 15, 2011, Gonzalez pleaded no contest to felony DUI causing injury. He was placed on probation and sentenced to a year in jail.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Yip prosecuted the case. Her job is funded by a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Newman man sent to prison for driving drunk while on DUI probation."