WEST FORK (KFSM) — William Asa Hutchinson III was given no additional jail time for driving while intoxicated last summer in West Fork.
Hutchinson, son of Governor Asa Hutchinson, pleaded guilty Thursday (Dec. 13) in West Fork District Court to a first offense of driving while intoxicated.
Judge Casey Jones gave Hutchinson 365 days in jail with 364 days suspended and credit for one day served in the Washington County jail.
Jones also fined Hutchinson $1,000 and ordered him to comply with recommendations from an alcohol treatment center.
Hutchinson’s sentence isn’t a departure for first-time DWI offenders.
Arkansas State Police arrested Hutchinson on May 28 for driving while intoxicated, speeding and violating of implied consent — all misdemeanors.
After pulling Hutchinson over, the trooper said Hutchinson appeared to have trouble concentrating while speaking and reaching for a citation.
Hutchinson had bloodshot and watery eyes and his vehicle smelled of alcohol, according to an arrest report.
The trooper who pulled Hutchinson over also saw opened boxes of canned alcohol in his backseat, according to an arrest report.
The trooper said Hutchinson’s breathalyzer test “confirmed his suspicions,” but the total blood-alcohol content wasn’t listed in the report.
The legal limit in Arkansas is .08.
Hutchinson was taken to the Washington County Detention Center and released less than two hours later after posting a $1,626.50 bond.
Hutchinson was arrested in January 2016 on suspicion of DWI after crashing on the Interstate 49 southbound exit ramp to the Fulbright Expressway in Fayetteville.
His conviction was overturned in November 2016 by a Washington County judge.
Hutchinson was also arrested in May 2016 at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., on charges of possession of a controlled substance after deputies said he was found with MDMA, specifically ecstasy pills and “Molly” capsules.
He was given a pre-trial diversion in that case, according to Alabama court records.