Area man receives jail time for DUI arrests
A Fayette County man with a history of driving-under-the-influence arrests dating back to 1988, was found guilty Thursday on two charges of driving with a suspended driver’s license and was sentenced to a mandatory 90 days in prison. James Edward Pitts, 37, of 692 Coolspring St., North Union Township, was found guilty of both summary charges that were filed by state police in Uniontown following two separate traffic stops. His license had been suspended because of prior DUI charges.
North Union Township District Justice Deberah Kula found Pitts guilty and also fined him $1,000. He has 30 days to appeal the verdict and will be notified about when to appear to begin serving his sentence.
“Driving in Pennsylvania is a privilege, not a right,” Kula said, before rendering the verdict.
“If you do something wrong, they’re going to take that privilege away,” she continued.
Trooper James Pierce’s testimony about both citations was brief. He said he was wearing plain clothes and driving an unmarked car during both traffic stops.
Pierce said pulled Pitts over on Ester Street in North Union Township on Oct. 27, 2002, because he was driving the wrong way on the one-way road.
Initially, Pitts gave the officer the fake name, but soon provided his correct name, Pierce said. He said he ran Pitts’ license and discovered it had been suspended by the Department of Transportation for a previous DUI-related incident.
Then on Nov. 15, Pierce said he recognized Pitts as he was driving on Coolspring Street in North Union Township, remembered he had a suspended license and pulled him over.
A check of his license again revealed a DUI-related suspension.
Pierce said Pitts’ driver’s record listed DUI arrests in 1988, 1990 and 1998.
During that time frame and afterwards, Pitts was stopped six times for driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to his record, which was entered into evidence at the hearing.
Pierce said those charges should keep Pitts license under suspension until 2007.
Pitts’ most recent offenses were refusals to submit to chemical tests following traffic stops on Feb. 16, 2002, which resulted in a one-year license suspension effective Sept. 11, 2010, and on March 14, 2002, which resulted in a one-year suspension effective Sept. 11, 2011.
He also refused a chemical test in March 1990 and that also resulted in a one-year suspension.
Pitts said he thought refusing to take the tests would result in charges of driving without a license and not DUI-related driving while operating privileges have been revoked or suspended charges.
He said he knew he was driving without a license and has been arguing with PennDOT about the status of his license since 1988.
Pitts represented himself at the hearing after waiving his right to have an attorney present.