Pregnant Woman Is Convicted of Driving Drunk (Updated)
Police said that Tomeka Stockwell had her 3-year-old son with her when she was driving drunk
Updated at 2:45 p.m.
A pregnant woman pleaded no contest and was convicted of driving drunk today in Mentor Municipal Court.
Tomeka Stockwell, 25, of Madison Township, was arrested early morning Saturday after being pulled over by Mentor Police on Route 2 east of the Heisley Road exit.
Police said she also had her 3-year-old son in the back seat, as well as another adult in the car.
Police received calls from two different drivers saying they saw a car driving slowly and erratically on the eastbound lanes of Route 2, Mentor Police Lt. Tom Powers said.
The officers who pulled her over said Stockwell was driving between 30 and 50 mph and weaving between lanes, Powers added.
Police reported that Stockwell had open beer cans in the car and appeared drunk. She failed road sobriety tests and refused to take a Breathalyzer, Powers said.
She told police she was eight months pregnant.
Her 3-year-old son was in the back of a car. He wore a seat belt but did not have a child seat, police said.
Police charged Stockwell with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, child endangering, having an open container and driving between marked lanes.
She pleaded no contest and was convicted of driving drunk and having an open container in court today. The other charges were dismissed.
Judge John Trebets ordered her to pay a $675 fine. However, Stockwell will avoid jail if she takes a three-day driver's intervention program and stays out of trouble.
When asked about the sentence, Trebets noted that this was Stockwell's first drunk driving conviction and she received the sentence he normally gives first-time offenders.
Stockwell's friend – 22-year-old Katie Baxter of Chardon – was also in the car when police pulled her over. She faces a misdemeanor charge of having an open container.
News worthy
9:03 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
More cash for the court and no lessons learned