Snyder County District Attorney Mike Piecuch announced in a press release Friday that serial drunk driver Kermit R. Kratzer, 55, of Middleburg, entered a guilty plea to his seventh offense for driving under the influence.
Senior Judge Louise O. Knight dismissed a jury that was waiting to hear the case because of the last-minute plea, which is expected to result in a state prison sentence of 16 to 42 months. Kratzer pleaded guilty to three counts: driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and hit and run. Sentencing was deferred for the preparation of a pre-sentence investigation report by the Snyder County Probation Department.
“I am pleased with the result under the circumstances, and thank goodness no one was hurt. This case, however, highlights how inadequate our DUI laws are when it comes to hard-core repeat offenders,” said DA Piecuch. “Kratzer will receive the maximum allowed under the law on the DUI charge, but the maximum is not enough to protect our community from this type of drunk driver.”
DA Piecuch noted that while repeat offenders face enhanced penalties under Pennsylvania’s DUI law, only DUI convictions in the past 10 years count towards those enhancements. Because Kratzer’s six prior DUI’s occurred more than 10 years ago, Kratzer’s current offense is treated as if it were his first offense for sentencing purposes. The statutory maximum for a first offense DUI is six months.
“State prison is the most appropriate place for the habitual drunk driver, but that option would not have been available here if Kratzer had not struck a house resulting in the reckless endangerment charge,” said DA Piecuch. “I don’t want to be in a position where law enforcement is dependent on a tragedy in order to put habitual drunk drivers where they belong. I intend to meet with our local legislators to find solutions for ensuring appropriate penalties for these serial offenders.”
According to investigators, Kratzer had been drinking for hours when he borrowed a friend’s car to drive home from the Selinsgrove Hotel late in the evening of October 1, 2011. On the way, he lost control of the car, hit a guard rail and then slammed into a home on Salem Road, Penn Township. Despite blasting a huge hole into one of the bedrooms, Kratzer managed to back up and drive away. A Good Samaritan called the Pennsylvania State Police as to Kratzer’s location and he was arrested shortly thereafter. According to police reports, Kratzer showed classic signs of intoxication, but refused to submit to chemical testing to determine his blood alcohol level.
Senior Judge Louise O. Knight dismissed a jury that was waiting to hear the case because of the last-minute plea, which is expected to result in a state prison sentence of 16 to 42 months. Kratzer pleaded guilty to three counts: driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and hit and run. Sentencing was deferred for the preparation of a pre-sentence investigation report by the Snyder County Probation Department.
“I am pleased with the result under the circumstances, and thank goodness no one was hurt. This case, however, highlights how inadequate our DUI laws are when it comes to hard-core repeat offenders,” said DA Piecuch. “Kratzer will receive the maximum allowed under the law on the DUI charge, but the maximum is not enough to protect our community from this type of drunk driver.”
DA Piecuch noted that while repeat offenders face enhanced penalties under Pennsylvania’s DUI law, only DUI convictions in the past 10 years count towards those enhancements. Because Kratzer’s six prior DUI’s occurred more than 10 years ago, Kratzer’s current offense is treated as if it were his first offense for sentencing purposes. The statutory maximum for a first offense DUI is six months.
“State prison is the most appropriate place for the habitual drunk driver, but that option would not have been available here if Kratzer had not struck a house resulting in the reckless endangerment charge,” said DA Piecuch. “I don’t want to be in a position where law enforcement is dependent on a tragedy in order to put habitual drunk drivers where they belong. I intend to meet with our local legislators to find solutions for ensuring appropriate penalties for these serial offenders.”
According to investigators, Kratzer had been drinking for hours when he borrowed a friend’s car to drive home from the Selinsgrove Hotel late in the evening of October 1, 2011. On the way, he lost control of the car, hit a guard rail and then slammed into a home on Salem Road, Penn Township. Despite blasting a huge hole into one of the bedrooms, Kratzer managed to back up and drive away. A Good Samaritan called the Pennsylvania State Police as to Kratzer’s location and he was arrested shortly thereafter. According to police reports, Kratzer showed classic signs of intoxication, but refused to submit to chemical testing to determine his blood alcohol level.