On October 25, 2017, just prior to his scheduled trial, Richard Miller, age 62, of Darrow, LA., pled guilty as charged to 4^th or Subsequent Offense DWI. Miller was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Thomas Kliebert. 

          On October 16, 2016, shortly before 6:00 am, patrol deputies with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office located a 2008 Chrysler Sebring parked, and still running, in the middle of W 9^th St. in Donaldsonville. Deputies approached the vehicle and observed a male subject sleeping in the driver seat. Deputies instructed the subject to exit the vehicle. Upon doing so, deputies identified the subject as Richard Miller. Miller had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person and appeared to be extremely intoxicated. Miller was given an opportunity to submit to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, but refused. Miller was then arrested and transported to the Ascension Parish Detention Center where he was given an opportunity to submit to a chemical breath test, which he refused. Upon refusing a chemical breath test, Miller was asked a series of questions as part of a DWI interview. During this interview, Miller fell asleep. Due to Miller refusing the chemical breath test, along with his extreme level of intoxication, deputies transported him to St. Elizabeth Hospital for medical evaluation. Once cleared by doctors, Miller was transported back to the parish jail where he was booked accordingly. 

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charge, sentencing was deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence Investigation. It should be noted that Miller has 4 prior DWI convictions along with a conviction for Vehicular Homicide. 

          On February 27, 2018, Miller appeared before Judge Kliebert for sentencing. Judge Kliebert ordered that Miller be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 15 years with credit for time served. It was ordered that Miller is to serve 10 years of the said sentence, with 2 years being without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The remaining 5 years of the sentence are to be suspended, and upon release from incarceration, Miller is to be placed on 5 years supervised probation.