Man Gets Two Years For Eighth Dwi Conviction

A Pend Oreille County man was sentenced Tuesday to almost two years in prison for his eighth drunken driving conviction.

Earlier this month, a jury convicted Gordon Lautenbach, 48, of drunken driving and first-degree driving with a revoked license.

Deputy Prosecutor Mike Carbone said Lautenbach told the sheriff’s deputy who arrested him Nov. 26 that he had to drive to a store in Chattaroy because his girlfriend, Wilma Cole, had run out of cigarettes. Her driver’s license was suspended at the time.

The officer spotted Lautenbach driving erratically at 20-25 mph on U.S. Highway 2 near the Spokane County line. Lautenbach was arrested when he pulled into his driveway, which is just north of the county line.

District Court Judge Chuck Baechler revoked Lautenbach’s probation for two previous convictions and gave him prison time for them as well. , DataTimes