A Nampa man will spend up to life in prison for a DUI. This was his 12th
A Nampa man will spend at least the next 13 years in prison after he was convicted of felony driving under the influence.
This was his 12th DUI.
Fourth District Judge Peter Barton sentenced 54-year-old Kent Sams to a life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 13 years, for driving drunk for the 12th time. He has a total of seven DUI convictions in Idaho, five of which were felonies, and another five in Washington. Sams was convicted by a 12-person jury in July.
In August 2021, the Meridian Police Department received a report that Sams was passed out in the flowerbeds outside an Idaho state liquor store, according to a news release from the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office and spokesperson Emily Lowe.
When police arrived at the store, they said Sams stumbled into his truck. Police said they witnessed him begin to back out of his parking spot.
Sams’ blood alcohol content was registered at 0.259, more than three times the 0.08 legal limit.
“Driving under the influence is a serious crime that endangers our community,” Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said in the release. “The community deserves to be protected from offenders who repeatedly commit crimes, endangering others. This sentence will help keep our community safe.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 11:38 AM.
