35-Year-Old Charged With Several Duis

Sat., Dec. 2, 2000

Shawna Rorem Correspondent

Jerry Leonard Ellis II has been arrested on driving-underthe-influence charges six times since 1995.

Ellis’ latest DUI arrest occurred on Sept. 22, 1999, while he was on unsupervised probation for two previous DUI convictions. Between April 9, 1998, and April 17, 1999, Ellis was on unsupervised probation for three separate DUI convictions.

Each time a new conviction was entered, the 35-year-old Post Falls man spent some time in jail and received new unsupervised probation despite the fact he already was serving another unsupervised probation period.

For his most recent conviction, Ellis earned a determinate penitentiary sentence of five years, a suspended jail sentence of four months, 100 hours of community service, and five years of supervised probation, and he won’t have a license for five years.

It took several arrests, dismissals, warrants and unsupervised probations for the courts to sentence Ellis to any long-term jail time.

“I don’t know if it’s that the judge doesn’t understand that they are already on probation,” said Kootenai County sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger. “It helps keep the jail population down, but what’s to keep them from doing bad things?”

Wolfinger said drunken drivers kill many more people than murderers, and most drunken drivers have driven drunk at least 20 times before being caught.

“Is that really justice? Is society really being protected?” Wolfinger asked.

Once a judge sentenced Ellis to supervised probation, he has had more trouble staying out of jail because of his frequent probation violations. He currently is incarcerated for the third alleged probation violation since his latest DUI conviction.

In October, a $20,000 warrant was issued for his arrest for failing to appear at the Department of Corrections in regards to a report of a probation violation.

Since 1995, Ellis has been arrested eight times on alcohol-related charges and once for trying to elude an officer. Of the eight arrests, Ellis was found guilty five times and was ordered to pay a total of $3,345. He currently has a bill for $1,113, which is due December 2001.

Ellis also has been cited four times for driving without privileges, once for failing to purchase a driver’s license and twice for not providing proof of insurance. A ticket for failing to provide proof of insurance is $107.

Ellis’ next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19.

This sidebar appeared with the story: EXPLANATION Criminal history

Every week, Handle Extra publishes a list of people who were booked into the Kootenai County Jail on felony warrants the previous week.

A few of the people have long histories with the justice system, which are detailed on their rap sheets. Sheriff’s officials complain that such repeat offenders clog the courts and fill the jails.

How can one person be arrested numerous times and still have their freedom? This new Handle Extra feature attempts to explain this by providing details of a typical inmate’s criminal history.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.