By Wagner's count, Rodriguez has had five DUI convictions since 1993.
Wagner said the sentence was based, in part, on the defendant's "very high" blood alcohol content at the time he was arrested for drunken driving. The figure cited in court was .30, which was more than three times the legal limit in Nevada of .08.
Rodriguez was arrested while driving within the city limits of Winnemucca in March of 2011.
Nobody was injured as a result of Rodriguez driving while intoxicated, Wagner said, but someone could have been. He said DUI is a dangerous crime "because people get killed by drunk drivers."
Pershing County Public Defender Steve Cochran, noting that Nevada law requires a mandatory prison sentence for felony DUI, asked the judge to sentence Rodriguez to the minimum amount of time.
Cochran said Rodriguez, 41, has a "substantial issue" with alcohol but has otherwise lived an ordinary life.
Deputy District Attorney Jason Dworin said Rodriguez' blood alcohol level when he was arrested was a concern, along with the number of previous arrests for DUI.
Rodriguez was arrested on a warrant after he failed to show up for a prior sentencing hearing in district court on May 7.
He told the judge, with the assistance of an interpreter, that he had to travel to California for a family member who was sick.
"I don't want you to think I ran or anything," he said. "I'm here right now."
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