Drunk driver pleads guilty, enters Sobriety Court

HOUGHTON — A Houghton woman has pled guilty to driving drunk with her kids in the car when she got into an accident earlier this month.

This is what Sobriety Court was intended for. 34-year-old Annie Freeman appeared in 97th District Court for a pretrial. She pled guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated with an occupant less than 16 years old. A possession of marijuana charge and a civil infraction were dismissed in exchange for the plea.

Police say Freeman rolled her vehicle on Airport Park Road in Osceola Township on May 8th with her two children in the car. A passerby rescued her infant child from her car seat. Freeman’s blood alcohol level was .196 at the time of arrest — nearly two and a half times the legal limit.

She faced fines and possible jail time if convicted, but by pleading guilty and entering Sobriety Court, Freeman has a chance to get clean and stay out of jail. Sobriety Court is no picnic. It’s an intense monitoring program that focuses on drug and alcohol abuse treatment, but it does make it possible for a mother to get help and stay home.