FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – The Fayetteville woman previously convicted in the death of a road worker pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to two counts of DWI in separate incidents. She was arrested three times over the summer on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Jo Jackson, 53, was sentenced in Fayetteville District Court to nine months in jail. She pleaded guilty to two of her three DWI charges from this summer, said Fayetteville city prosecutor Casey Jones.
Jackson was fined $600 for one of the convictions and $1,000 for the other. She was also assessed court costs, including a $320 fee, officials said. Jackson was sentenced to 365 days in jail, with 90 days suspended.
The prosecutor said Jackson’s punishment was harsher than usual because of her three recent arrests in a short period of time and negligent homicide conviction from 2012.
Jackson pleaded not guilty Monday to a DWI charge from her third arrest. The next court date in that case has not been set.
Following her negligent homicide conviction in June 2012, Jackson received a sentence of time served and was sentenced to no further jail or prison time, according to court records. She was also sentenced to 12 months of probation, which she fulfilled in June 2013, records show.
Jackson’s first DWI arrest of the summer occurred June 8. The arresting officer in the case said she was not wearing pants or underwear during the field sobriety test. Jackson was booked into jail and released several hours later on $1,780 bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
She was then arrested Aug. 8 on suspicion of DWI, driving on a suspended license, reckless driving, having no proof of insurance and violating implied consent. She later posted a $2,000 bond out of the Washington County Detention Center, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
During that incident, police said Jackson admitted to drinking half a bottle of wine and taking Hydrocodone and Adavan prescription medications. Open wine containers were also found in the vehicle, the preliminary report states.
Jackson was also arrested Aug. 24 on suspicion of several misdemeanor charges, including DWI, reckless driving, expired vehicle licensing and driving on a suspended license. A preliminary arrest report states she had a .21 blood-alcohol level at the time of her arrest.
Police in that case responded near College Avenue and Cleburn Street in reference to a vehicle that was swerving and stopping in the middle of the lanes meant for oncoming traffic, according to a preliminary report. An officer stopped the vehicle, but Jackson, the driver, had no license to give him, the report states.
The reporting officer said he could smell alcohol on Jackson, and her speech was slurred. Also, the license plate on her vehicle expired in April, the preliminary report states.
Jackson failed a field sobriety test, and officers found an open, half-full bottle of Sutter Home wine in the vehicle’s center console, according to the report.
