First-time DWI offender to receive triple jail time, double fines

January 15, 2020, Tamuning, Guam- Dennis A.Q. Santos will spend six days in jail after admitting to Driving While Impaired as a misdemeanor. He was convicted late yesterday after the court and the parties agreed to conclude plea negotiations.

The husband and father of the victims represented the family at yesterday’s hearing. He was eager for the plea negotiations to move forward and expressed to the court that the only need for restitution was for property damage and not for injuries.

Santos’ six-day prison sentence is three times longer than that of a typical first-time offender. Assistant Attorney General Sean Brown said, “The defendant is a long-time law enforcement officer and knows better than to drink and drive. He is fortunate no one was seriously injured but he placed the family in danger and left them without a vehicle. We took into account all of these factors, including input from the victims, in coming up with an agreement that punishes him more severely than a usual first-time offender but is still just.”

Under the plea agreement, Santos is also required to pay over $12,000 to the victims for property damages and a $1,000 court fee. His drivers license was suspended for six months and after a mandated assessment he will be subject to treatment. He must also serve 150 community service hours, double the normal requirement for a first-time offender. All of these terms were put on the record.