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Don’t let man facing 15th DUI out of jail, prosecutor urges
TweetUrso killed someone while driving drunk in 1982, the prosecutor said.
Keith Urso
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WARREN — Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins has asked that Keith J. Urso be kept in Trumbull County Jail without bail while the courts determine whether Urso is guilty of DUI for the 15th time.
Urso, 49, of Monroe Street and Vermont Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Trumbull County grand jury on two counts of driving under the influence with a prior felony conviction and repeat DUI offender.
Each charge carries a penalty of two to 10 years in prison.
Urso will be arraigned at 2:30 p.m. today by Judge Andrew Logan in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
The charges stem from an arrest by a Trumbull County sheriff’s deputy around 1 p.m. Jan. 31 in Mecca Township. Urso was charged with DUI and driving under suspension and found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.286 — more than three times the legal limit of 0.08, Watkins said. He had no license and was driving a girlfriend’s car, according to the sheriff’s department.
“The evidence will show that [Urso’s] drunken stupor was so profound, he could not stand and walk. Miraculously, no one was killed or injured by his driving,” Watkins wrote in a motion he filed with the common pleas court Wednesday.
Watkins told the court that Urso killed someone in 1982 while driving drunk and was sentenced to one year in prison in 2006 for another DUI.
“Since 1982 this defendant has amassed 14 separate [DUI] convictions and additional violations related to failure to appear, leaving the scene of an accident, domestic violence and probation violations,” Watkins wrote in the filing.
He added that Ohio law allows a person to be kept in jail instead of being released on bond if the person is charged with a felony “where the proof is evident or the presumption great and where the person poses a substantial risk of serious physical harm to any person or the community.”
Urso pleaded innocent to the charges in Central District Court Feb. 1 and was released from jail later that day after posting $20,000 bond.
He was arrested again Wednesday following the indictment.
In the Jan. 31 incident, a deputy responded to Monty’s Carry Out and Restaurant at Bazetta Road and state Route 88 after a witness said she saw Urso driving intoxicated north on Bazetta Road and that he had pulled into Monty’s to sleep.
When the deputy arrived, he smelled alcohol coming from Urso, found a half-empty beer can in the car, and Urso fell forward when he tried to get out of his car, the deputy’s report said.
runyan@vindy.com
Comments
It's amazing the system even allows him to drive...hello??
Offenders like this shouldn't have any opportunity to ever get a license again.
This guy needs to be in prison for awhile. I received a 15 month prison sentence for 4 DUI's from a Morrow County judge and I thank God everyday for that. This guy will keep on drinking and driving and should be put away. Even if he never has his license again he'll still drive and drink. He needs to stop drinking period and do his time and move forward in life. Its tough but it can be done, I can testify for that.
I prime example of the revolving door justice in the area and how it benefits the lawyers and perpetrators and hurts the rest of us. How does someone even get to 15 DUI's without spending significant time in the poky.
Urso obviously does not get it and does not care. He's not going to stop until he is physically restrained. 15 DUI's and multiple other convictions? Sheesh! This is an example of where a middle eastern or asian rule of law is appropriate..."lead poisoning".
"...he was driving a girlfriend's car..." you mean some woman ACTUALLY dates this cretin?
@XfilesX
She must drink a lot, too.
ImUrPO :
"If this case was in Youngstown, the guy would be let out of Jail & the courts would apologize for any inconvenience they might have caused him. "
Youngstown is known for letting the human spirit flourish and express itself .
I think they have to wait til he kills 5 or 6 more people, then they will super double secret suspend his license. That'll stop him. Loser Who and how did he kill in 1982? Some vermin don't deserve freedom. He's probably driving around laughing at us right now.
Or will be driving around shortly, it seems cruel, but blind people don't drive. If he lost a body part for each conviction after 3, it would at least slow him down.
how do you stop alcoholics from driving anyway without a license?
starting system breathalyzers on each car? (not practical given all the vehicles already out there.) or progressively longer mandatory sentences each time they drive? (sad but necessary) (needs to be enforced.)
paulb
"Second, most of these habitual alcohol abusers suffer from mental health issues
- depression being the most common."
Agree 100%
"I don't agree with criminalizing drunks unless they cause harm to other people."
Don't agree. Prison changed my thinking, drinking and outlook. North Coast Correctional (Grafton) is a prison mostly for DUI's and such. They have classes, school, AA, etc. I would say 95% attended. When I was released, I had to attend New Start in Warren. 99% of the patiences there said they would still drug and drink when they graduate. They were there because they were court ordered or there job sent them. They could have cared less.
My story - CNN
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-341381
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/best...
paulb
Thank You.
Yes, Love Mt. Washington, such a nice break from the bustle and hustle of life. Beautiful scenery. More people should visit there. Nice restaurants also.
The heart issues was the final straw. Sitting in a cell you think alot and realize how all the legal problems you had were a direct result of alcohol. Is it worth it?
Rereading the article on Urso, I seen he spent a year in prison for DUI, this man clearly needs to be put back in prison or a alternate like River City Correctional Center which I was sent to also. I agree about alcoholism and mental health share the same attributes. But as far as Urso, he has to want the help or else he will never be free of alcoholism. Alcoholism is a real tough disease and until you want to free yourself you have to give it all your attention and give up the only thing you know. People can be helped if they want the help. And nowhere do I see Urso asking for help or wanting to better himself.
you know i got alot to say on this case. yes thats my mom's boyfriend and yes if you do the crime you do the time but for everyone to act like he is a murder or a raper its not fair to him he will not get a fair trial. and if you really knew keith you would not think as him as a drunk or a dui suspect. how can you prove he was drinking in driveing when he was sleeping in the car and a rookie cop took the breathe alizer test on him in it took her 4 times to get it right.i went to court when he went and for dennis watkins to say what he was saying he only shows his face on cases when he feels like it.ive seen alot of murder cases on tv and where was dennis then.when we was in grand jury he didnt even know the codes .maybe he should study the hand book instead of studying all on keith's case.i hope he gets bond no one deserves to get treated like keith is .i see murders that get bond.everyone is innocent until proven guilty..