A man who told police during his drunk driving arrest in February that he had 22 prior DUI convictions pleaded guilty to felony DUI at his arraignment in Butte district court on Thursday before Judge Kurt Krueger.
Guilty pleas at arraignments are rare, as nearly all defendants plead not guilty when first charged and only enter guilty pleas after making a deal with the prosecution.
Judge Krueger repeatedly asked Clinton Sproles, 54, whether he understood he had no obligation to plead guilty as well as the penalties of a felony DUI conviction.
Sproles said he understood.
Sproles's attorney, Walter Hennessey, said his client had only been out of prison since July of 2016 and that Gallatin County still had a relevant pre-sentencing document that could be used to save time.
Sproles was arrested on Feb. 25 around 11 p.m. on the 700 block of Front Street after a traffic stop when officers determined he was drunk, had a revoked license, and had violated parole.
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Police said Sproles told them he had 22 prior DUIs, though police have yet to determine whether that number is correct. Police are working with the Butte-Silver Bow County Attorney's office to determine the extent of Sproles's criminal history and believe the number to be at least roughly accurate, they said.
The Gallatin County Attorney's Office listed 18 prior DUI convictions in various states dating back to the 1970s for Sproles when he was arrested in 2008 for hitting a vehicle while driving with a 0.179 blood alcohol level.
A Bozeman judge sentenced Sproles as a repeat felony offender to a 240-month prison sentence, but state law typically excludes prison sentences for DUI. Instead, those convicted of a fourth or subsequent DUI serve six months in the Warm Springs Addictions Treatment and Change Program (WATCh) and upon completion of the program are released on probation for the remainder of their sentence.
Sproles was previously sentenced in Granite County to 73 months in prison, partially suspended, for persistent DUI offenses in 2006. Court records show his driver’s license has been revoked in Montana, Colorado, and Georgia.
In 2015, Sproles was allowed to enter WATCh and upon completion was in pre-release. Butte-Silver Bow County Deputy Attorney Ann Shea said that if Sproles completed the WATCh program and reoffended, he may not be eligible to return to the program and could serve a jail sentence.
As of Thursday at afternoon, Sproles remained in the Butte jail.