Logan, UT – A 44-year-old Logan man has been sentenced to prison after a series of driving under the influence (DUI) offenses, the latest of which occurred in October. John Jeffery Ahl Simmonds was sentenced on December 23 in Logan’s 1st District Court. Simmonds had previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of DUI, both third-degree felonies.
The charges stemmed from an October 6 incident when Simmonds crashed his vehicle into a utility pole. Following the crash, law enforcement determined that his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 10 times the legal limit, a discovery that prompted authorities to call his alcohol level “lethal.”
During the court hearing, Cache County Deputy Attorney Joshua Duty urged the judge to impose a prison sentence, stating that Simmonds’ actions demonstrated a continued disregard for the law. “He is not learning his lesson,” Duty remarked, emphasizing the severity of the offense and the danger posed by Simmonds’ high BAC at the time of the crash.
Simmonds, who had been held in the Cache County Jail since the October incident, admitted to his ongoing struggle with alcohol. He told the court that he took full responsibility for his actions and explained that his life had been on a downward trajectory for some time. Simmonds further revealed that he had been consuming between 12 and 15 beers daily prior to his arrest.
Judge Spencer Walsh acknowledged Simmonds’ admission, warning him, “You are playing with fire,” in reference to his heavy drinking and repeated offenses. Despite this, Simmonds was sentenced to a term of zero to five years at the Utah State Correctional Facility. He was credited for time already served in jail, and was also ordered to complete substance abuse treatment during his incarceration.
The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will ultimately determine when Simmonds will be eligible for release, based on his progress and conduct while serving his sentence.