Two drunk drivers, including one from Valparaiso, are spending more time behind bars as a result of a judge's tough stance on repeat violators.
Jeffrey Mitchell, 43, of Valparaiso, was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in the LaPorte County Jail followed by 21 months on work release and one year on probation.
In June, police said Mitchell was clocked for traveling 10 miles per hour above the 45 mile per hour speed limit on Ind. 2 in Westville.
A computer records check revealed his license was suspended for being a habitual traffic offender, according to court documents.
Mitchell refused a Breathalyzer test, police said.
Court record showed that Mitchell has four prior drunk driving convictions in 1991, 2003, 2004 and 2010.
The original plea submitted in the case did not provide actual jail time and was rejected by La Porte Circuit Court Judge Tom Alevizos, who pushed for time behind bars because of Mitchell's extensive OWI history.
Cora Hughes, 53, of Fish Lake, was given six months in the LaPorte County Jail Wednesday under a plea originally rejected by the judge.
Alevizos said he felt the 30 days called for in the previous deal was not enough, considering that Hughes had at least two prior OWI convictions.
Police most recently found her slumped over in a vehicle with a 0.20 blood alcohol level, according to court documents.
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