Austin man sentenced to prison time on felony DWI charges in Mower County District Court

An Austin man facing felony DWI and gross misdemeanor driving after cancellation charges in Mower County District Court stemming from an incident that took place March 30th, 2020 has been sentenced to prison time.

34-year old Duane Erle Calhoun was convicted and sentenced Thursday to 54 months in prison for a felony charge of DWI, operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .08 or higher within two hours.  Calhoun was also convicted and sentenced Thursday to 42 months in prison for a felony charge of 1st degree DWI, refusal to submit to a breath test stemming from an incident that took place on June 21st, 2019.  Judge Kevin Siefken determined that the two sentences can be served concurrently, and Calhoun pleaded guilty to the two charges in July of 2021.  A felony charge for DWI, operating a motor vehicle with the body containing any amount of Schedule I or II drugs, not marijuana, a felony charge for 1st degree DWI, under the influence of alcohol, two gross misdemeanor charges for driving after cancellation, inimical to public safety and a petty misdemeanor speeding charge were dismissed with Calhoun’s guilty plea.

Calhoun was also convicted and sentenced Thursday to 180 days in jail for a gross misdemeanor charge for driving after cancellation, inimical to public safety stemming from an incident that took place on October 1st, 2019.  Calhoun was given credit for 180 days already served, and misdemeanor charges for possession of over 1.4 grams of marijuana in a motor vehicle, violation of a limited license and for fleeing a peace officer by means other than a motor vehicle, plus petty misdemeanor charges for speeding and possession of drug paraphernalia in the case were all dismissed with Calhoun’s guilty plea on July 23rd of this year.