Officer gets deferred sentence in Idaho DUI

Former Metro Police Internal Affairs Lt. Larry Spinosa pleaded guilty Tuesday in an Idaho court to driving under the influence last June and was given a deferred sentence pending fulfillment of certain requirements.

Magistrate Darla Williamson, noting this was Spinosa's first offense, fined the officer $778.50 and ordered him to perform 60 hours of community service.

The community service will be carried out at St. Vincent, a homeless shelter in Las Vegas.

Spinosa, who now works in the Metro Tourist Safety Unit, has until Dec. 20 to complete the community service.

Assuming Spinosa, 44, fulfills the requirements, the case could be dismissed in one year, although it would still appear on his driving record as a conviction because of the guilty plea, Court Clerk Corine Anderson said.

Anderson said because this was Spinosa's first offense, Williamson was lenient at Tuesday's sentencing in the Valley County District Court in Cascade, Idaho.

According to Anderson, with the conviction remaining on his record a second offense could result in a more severe punishment.

Spinosa was driving a white van when he was stopped June 13 by a Idaho state police officer in McCall.

According to the arrest report Spinosa was going 45 mph in a 25 mph zone.

Spinosa failed a blood test, registering 0.15, court records show. In Idaho 0.08 is the legal limit.

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