BRIAN A. BICK, d/o/b 2-09-1973, of Hollister, was sentenced on Thursday, October 23, 2014, to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the class D felony of driving while intoxicated and seven (7) years for the class D felony of Driving While Revoked. Senior Judge Carr Woods, acting as the Taney County Circuit Court Judge, sentenced Bick after hearing arguments from both the defense and the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office, as there was no plea agreement as to what sentence Bick would receive on his felony charges. Bick’s sentences were ordered by the court to be concurrent.

On the morning of July 19, 2013, Branson Police were contacted by citizens complaining about a possible drunk driver in a red Saturn passenger car hit the curb at least three (3) times while driving a short distance on Green Mountain Drive. Officers found the driver, Bick, in a semi-conscious condition. The car was parked in the middle of Keeter Street, Bick was found seated in the driver seat of the car, but with the door open and his left foot on the pavement. After Bick’s arrest, a sample of his blood was taken and sent to a crime lab for testing. Bick’s blood-alcohol content was found to be 0.23% (0.08% is the level of presumed intoxication in Missouri). Bick’s license was already revoked at the time of his arrest for driving while intoxicated.

Driving while intoxicated, as a first offense, is normally a class B misdemeanor, and handled by the Associate Circuit Courts. However, because Bick had two (2) or more intoxication-related traffic offenses, he was charged with a class D felony for being a “persistent” D.W.I. offender. The maximum term of imprisonment for a class D felony is not more than four (4) years in prison. However, Bick was charged as a prior and persistent felony offender, enhancing his possible maximum prison sentence on each charge to seven (7) years.