A 24-year-old Springville man arrested earlier this spring for operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol concentration of .216, admitted his guilt and was sentenced in Greene Superior Court yesterday, June 26.

Justin Caswell was arrested by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy David Elmore on April 29 after a woman who lives south of Bloomfield called 911 saying Caswell had come to her house to talk to her daughter. Caswell had allegedly been drinking prior to his arrival. The woman said Caswell had refused to leave and her husband was holding him down on the ground.

Deputy Elmore said when he arrived, he saw a younger white man alongside the driveway being held down by an older white man.

Elmore reported he asked the man to let Caswell go. Then he interviewed Caswell, who was cooperative and admitted, in so many words, that he had too much to drink to be driving and knew he had messed up. Caswell said he had been drinking earlier in the day and had driven his white Dodge Charger to the residence, without any passengers.

Caswell willingly submitted to a portable breathalyzer test on the scene then another chemical test at the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. The result was that he had a blood-alcohol concentration of .216.

Caswell was arrested then bonded out of jail. He was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more, a Class A misdemeanor.

When he appeared in court, he was found to be ineligible for a public defender and court records reflect that he was not represented by an attorney during this case.

Early in June, Caswell agreed to plead guilty and a negotiated plea agreement was signed by just Caswell and Greene County Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Jackson Stone.

On Tuesday, Caswell was back in Greene Superior Court with Judge Dena Martin presiding.

The state dismissed the Class C misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Caswell was convicted of the Class A misdemeanor count of operating with a BAC of .15 or more.

The agreement was accepted by the court and he was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail with 174 days suspended. He was given credit for one day served and will be on probation for one year.