A Yolo Superior Court judge sentenced a Sacramento man to local prison and probation this week following a drunken driving conviction — the defendant’s fourth offense in the past 10 years.
On Jan. 21, Judge David Rosenberg sentenced 53-year-old Sacramento County man, Simon Kukhta, 53, to 240 days in jail and, upon his release from custody, 490 days of mandatory supervision for the felony DUI conviction. Kukhta’s prior convictions occurred in Sacramento County in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
A Yolo County jury found Kukhta guilty on Dec. 19 after a three-day trial. The jury heard evidence that on Sept. 30, 2019, Kukhta was driving on a levee in unincorporated Yolo County after being up all night fishing. He was driving on a straight and level roadway when he drove off the levee and his car became stuck on the embankment.
Kukhta, who was still on probation for his most recent DUI conviction, told officers that he had not had any alcohol and refused a breath test, but a blood test showed that Kukhta had been over twice the legal limit of 0.08 when he drove.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol and a deputy with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance on follow-up investigation by an investigator with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. Officers interviewed witnesses who had found Kukhta on the side of the levee, and executed search warrants for Kukhta’s phone and vehicle.
This case was prosecuted by one of Yolo County’s specialized deputy district attorneys who are working to stem impaired driving through prosecution, education and community outreach. Under a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), these prosecutors provide training to law enforcement on identifying impaired drivers, educate members of the community about impaired driving, and perform community outreach to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.
Yolo County’s OTS program is one of the most progressive programs in the state, with a strong focus on education and prevention. These prosecutors teach at educational events and take an active role in preventing driving under the influence by engaging the community through high school trials, college outreach and other community events.
“My office will continue to not only be proactive in preventing DUI offenses, but will also continue to go after these high-risk offenders. These repeat DUI offenders gamble with the lives of Yolo County residents and my office will not stand for it.” District Attorney Jeff Reisig said. “Our grant prosecutors are not only educating our community about the dangers of driving under the influence to prevent these incidents, but they are also holding those who drive under the influence accountable.”
Added OTS Director Barbara Rooney: “Repeat DUI offenders pose the greatest risk because they lack the self control to not drive impaired. We must continue to not only hold those who put others on the road at risk accountable, but also work on long-term behavior changes to prevent high-risk individuals from reoffending.”