Vancleave man sentenced following 9th DUI arrest
A Vancleave man was sentenced to nine years without parole for driving under the influence – 4th offense, according to District Attorney W. Crosby Parker.
Michael Andrew Smith, 34, was arrested on Feb. 20, 2022, after a Pass Christian Police Department officer was dispatched to investigate a reckless driver complaint.
Smith was observed by the complainant to be unable to maintain the driver’s lane while heading west on U.S. 90 near Holiday Avenue.
According to a press release, the officer located the vehicle and observed Smith had been driving with an unrestrained 7-year-old juvenile in his lap with a 12-pack of beer in the passenger seat.
The Mississippi Forensics Laboratory revealed that Smith had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.121%, which is over the legal limit of 0.08%.
It was his ninth DUI arrest.
“Smith was prosecuted as a habitual offender when the investigation revealed that Smith has eight prior driving under the influence convictions since 2010, three of which were felony convictions,” Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Magee said.
The maximum punishment for Driving Under the Influence – 4th Offense is 10 years.
