At a District Court continued sentencing on April 17, Eric David Hoover thanked Judge Michael Montero for the opportunity to get his life straight after being arrested for a second and then a third DUI four years ago.
In 2014, Hoover’s final sentencing was deferred to give him the opportunity to undergo an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) treatment program and to attend the three-year felony DUI Court program. As Hoover had completed treatment and met all the requirements to complete the DUI Court program, he was able to avoid a felony DUI conviction and the mandatory prison term that goes with it.
Montero asked Hoover how he was doing and how the treatment program has served him. Hoover responded by thanking the judge for the opportunity to complete the treatment program.
“I am closer to the person I’ve been trying to be for 40 years than I’ve ever been,” said Hoover. “The court, with the guidance and discipline and the AA program, has put me on the path that I was seeking for many years, both sober and drinking. It saved my life. It gave me my family back. It gave me my livelihood back.”
Hoover said he has no intention of going back, that the idea scares him and he is completing the steps of AA a second time with another sponsor.
“Fear can be a wonderful motivator,” responded Montero.
With successful completion of the court ordered programs and having paid all his fines and fees, Hoover was allowed to rescind his guilty plea for felony DUI 3. He was allowed to plead guilty to DUI-2, for which he had already completed all the terms and conditions.
Montero said that cases like Hoover’s are what make his job really rewarding, when he can see people who come back and have completed the program successfully.
Hoover will have plenty of motivation to avoid driving under the influence again. Hoover’s attorney, John L. Arrascada, said he has warned his client that another DUI conviction would mean a “felony 4th DUI” and he would likely go to prison for two to fifteen years.
