Judge ruled police detective who admitted to DUI crash shouldn't serve jail time, because he would be teminated.
California - A San Diego police detective avoided a jail sentence for a crash in which he admitted he had been driving recklessly and under the influence.
Det. Jeffrey Blackford, pleaded guilty earlier this month to DUI and reckless driving in connection with a Dec. 7 crash in Allied Gardens.
Blackford, 34, crashed into a utility box on Princess View Drive near Mission Gorge Road about 1 a.m.
He was off-duty at the time of the crash but he was driving a department-issued undercover vehicle.
Blackford was facing 60 days in custody but received 5 years on probation and 25 days of community service.
He did not appear in court Monday for the sentencing. Judge Frederick Maguire denied television cameras access to the hearing.
In his ruling, Judge Maguire said he didn’t order the defendant to serve time in jail because that would result in his termination from the San Diego Police Department. The crime did not warrant the detective losing his job the judge told the court.
A preliminary breathalyzer test showed the detective's blood-alcohol level as high as .15 percent, prosecutors told the court. A test taken three hours later registered .09 percent.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Police-Gang-Detective-Guilty-Dui-Sentence-204140811.html