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Drunken driver faces prison Central Point man had six offenses By Dani Dodge If you could overlook drinking and driving, Thomas Eugene Grove would have a clean record. But you can�t overlook drunken driving � and neither can Grove � especially since the state Legislature bumped up the penalties for repeat offenders to include prison time. On Monday, Jackson County Judge Ray White sentenced Grove, 43, of Central Point to a year and a half in prison for his sixth drunken driving conviction. "If you want to drink yourself to death that�s your business," White said. "But once you get behind the wheel of a car, it�s everyone�s business. "We need to lock you up to keep you from killing someone." Grove�s attorney, Eugene Thompson said he doesn�t believe Grove was aware of the law that took effect on Dec. 31, 2000, which makes prison time mandatory for people who get a fourth DUII in 10 years. "Most people know they�ll go to jail," Thompson said. "But truly there are a lot of people who don�t know it�s a felony ... and a minimum prison sentence of 13 months." The new law represents a major shift in public policy. Before the change, drunken driving always was treated as a jail-only misdemeanor � regardless of prior convictions. District Attorney Mark Huddleston said his office files several of the felony DUII cases each month. He said it�s too early to tell if the law is a deterrent. "But we know that for the period of time they are in prison they won�t be driving while intoxicated," he said. "You hope for those folks it�s a real wake-up call." Grove, who lived at 4229 Hamrick Road, Central Point, made his last drunken driving mistake on Feb. 6. The self-employed landscaper had already been drinking when he drove to the Pilot gas station and mini-market for more beer, according to attorneys in the case. When he got back to his home, his girlfriend called the police. In a breath test, his blood alcohol level was .29. "I am an alcoholic," Grove told the judge. "(After my last conviction) I went five years, the entire term of my probation without alcohol. But then I went back to alcohol. ... I can�t control it once I start drinking." Thompson asked the judge if Grove could get treatment instead of prison time. Deputy District Attorney David Hoppe asked the judge to put Grove away for 25 to 30 months. Grove had drunken driving convictions in 1982, 1985 and three convictions in the same two-week period in 1996 � one of which resulted in a crash, injuring another person. Yet Grove had no other crimes on his record. White sentenced him to 19 months in prison, two years probation, treatment for his alcoholism, and three year�s suspension of his driver license. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.