Erickson Deal Includes 2-Year Bottle Ban, Plus Aa Seahawks Coach Has Serious Drinking Problem, Must Visit Dwi Victims And Undergo Counseling

After tests determined he had a significant drinking problem, Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson has been ordered to abstain from alcohol for two years and to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings during that time.

Everett District Court Judge Roger Fisher also ordered Erickson not to have any alcohol-related or major traffic offenses for two years, to undergo counseling for six months and to attend one session of a drunken-driving victims panel within 60 days.

Erickson was arrested April 15 in the Everett area for driving while intoxicated. His attorney, Frank Wilson, requested deferred prosecution of the charges, which will be dropped if Erickson meets the conditions set by Fisher.

To qualify for deferred prosecution, Erickson had to undergo a chemical-dependency evaluation, which determined he had a significant drinking problem, prosecutor Lori Lebon said in court.

If convicted on the DWI charge, Erickson faced mandatory jail time of one to two days, $350-$1,000 in fines and a suspension of his license for up to 120 days. Lebon stressed that Erickson was not being let off easy, because terms of the deferred prosecution are difficult to complete.

Granting deferred prosecution to such first-time offenders as Erickson is routine in Washington.

Erickson was arrested after other drivers reported his erratic driving on Interstate 5 to police. Erickson’s bloodalcohol level was .23 percent, more than twice the state’s legal limit of .10 percent.

The terms of the agreement are not expected to conflict with Erickson’s coaching duties.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Clare Farnsworth Seattle Post-Intelligencer