COEUR d’ALENE —  Eight-time DUI offender Jeffrey A. Jeske has received a prison sentence. Jeske, of Post Falls, pleaded guilty to his last offense in June. 

Driving under the influence is a felony, and this week, First District Judge Regina McCrea sentenced Jeske to eight years in prison with parole eligibility after four years. McCrea also ordered that Jeske’s driver’s license be suspended for five years following his release from prison. 

The charges stem from March 1, when prosecutors said police pulled Jeske over after 10 p.m. for driving without headlights or taillights. According to prosecutors, Jeske displayed several signs of intoxication during the stop and refused to complete field sobriety evaluations or provide a breath sample. 

Police obtained a search warrant for a sample of Jeske’s blood and restrained him to a padded mat on the ground to collect it, according to a Dec. 30 news release. The sample showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08. 

Prosecutors said Jeske’s criminal history includes misdemeanor convictions for DUI in Kootenai County in 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2005. 

In 2007, Jeske was convicted of felony DUI and received a probation sentence, which prosecutors said he violated in 2010. Jeske received another felony DUI conviction the same year. The court retained jurisdiction in the case, placing him in a prison treatment program and later releasing him on probation. 

Jeske received another felony DUI conviction in 2016, according to prosecutors, and the court retained jurisdiction in the case. Prosecutors said he violated the terms of his probation in 2019 after consuming alcoholic beverages and marijuana.

Help is available to North Idaho residents who are struggling with alcohol and drugs.

The North Idaho Crisis Center at 2301 Ironwood Place in Coeur d’Alene offers free, confidential help for people with substance abuse problems or suffering a mental health crisis. The center is open 24/7. No referral is necessary. Call 208-625-4884.