Driver Charged Under Felony Drunk Law
Felony drunk-driving charges were filed Wednesday against a Pacoima man authorities believe is the first person in the San Fernando Valley prosecuted under a new state law that makes repeat drunk driving a felony offense.
Jose Escobar Cisneros, 59, has had four drunk-driving convictions since 1982, said Head Deputy Dist. Atty. Billy D. Webb of the San Fernando district attorney’s office.
Cisneros pleaded not guilty in San Fernando Municipal Court to one count of felony driving under the influence of alcohol and one misdemeanor count of driving with a revoked or suspended license.
He was arrested Jan. 3 at Pierce Street and San Fernando Road. Tests showed he had a blood-alcohol count of 0.35%, Webb said. The legal limit is 0.10%.
Under a law that took effect Sunday, drunk-driving defendants who have three or more convictions can be charged with a felony. Before Jan. 1, repeat offenses were charged as misdemeanors.
If convicted, Cisneros faces a maximum sentence of 3 years in state prison. Under the previous law, the maximum sentence was 2 years in County Jail. Cisneros was being held in lieu of $5,000 bail.
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