45-year-old Serafin Medina of Kankakee was spared a prison sentence for a DUI conviction.Instead, he’ll serve a house-arrest for his DUI, which involved a traffic accident that killed his uncle.
Judge Susan Sumner Tungate (Friday) imposed the sentence which allows Serafin Medina to become the first in Kankakee County to avoid a prison term in favor of the experimental program, requiring him to wear an ankle device to monitor any alcohol consumption.
Judge Tungate considered Medina’s three teen daughters, in electing to go with the house-arrest.A prison term could have led to the three daughters being sent to Mexico or splitting up the family and sending the girls to foster-homes.
The Daily-Journal reports a Mexican immigrant living legally in the U.S., Medina has worked at the same job for 25 years. Medina has no criminal record other than the DUI felony conviction that killed his uncle in the March 2009 accident in St. Anne.
Judge Tungate sentenced Medina to 18 months of work-release.He’ll be allowed to leave only for work and will spend weekends in the county jail. Part of his probation also prohibits him from consuming any alcohol.
