BEATRICE – Two defendants with multiple driving under the influence convictions are both going to prison from Gage County.


36-year-old Michael Clayton of Pittsfield, Illinois had his probation term revoked and he was sentenced to a three-year Nebraska prison term and 18 months post-release supervision, by Gage County District Judge Rick Schreiner. Clayton was convicted of fourth offense driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He had been on probation.


"If you haven't become convinced that things are not going to get better for you if you continue to drink....not just drink and drive....if you continue to drink...I'm here to tell you that you will die, or kill someone else....and then your life will be hell."


Schreiner said Clayton’s criminal history revolved around alcohol and driving. Clayton received credit off the prison term for 271 days in custody. His license will be revoked for 15-years and he must pay costs of $3,768 during the post-release period.  Clayton was arrested by Beatrice Police in September of 2018 after leaving a local bar intoxicated and driving away. At the time, he had no driver’s license in either Nebraska or his resident state of Illinois.


In a second case, 48-year-old Aaron Miller, of Beatrice was sentenced to a prison term of two-to-six years for fourth offense driving under the influence of alcohol, and a concurrent term of one-to-two years for driving under revocation.


"Sobriety isn't for the people who need it. Sobriety is for the people who want it. And you don't want it, yet. You want me to put you on probation so you can avoid this for period of time, and then go back to what you were doing. You don't want sobriety, and until you do...for some other reason then to get the court off your back and the heat off of you....nothing's going to change."


Schreiner said Miller had seven D-U-I arrests in his criminal history. The judge also revoked Miller’s driver’s license for 15 years.  "Your case is no different than standing on a street corner and firing a handgun or a rifle blindly down the street. You are eventually going to kill somebody if you keep it up."


The judge denied a defense request to delay the start of Miller’s sentence. Miller was arrested last January 14th by a Gage County Sheriff’s officer investigating an injury accident near Beatrice.