A Taney County jury found DONALD C. BILLINGS, d/o/b 4-13-1966, of Kirbyville, guilty of the class D felony of driving while intoxicated, on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. The nine-woman, three-man jury deliberated for just less than one hour before arriving at the unanimous verdict. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tiffany Yarnell tried the case for the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

Billings was arrested by a Trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for driving while intoxicated, on May 4, 2013. Billings crashed a Nissan Altima into some trees after failing to negotiate a curve on Missouri Highway 76, near Delaware Road. Neither Billings, nor his passenger were seriously injured. Billings refused field sobriety tests and tried to convince the Trooper that he was not driving the vehicle. However, eye witnesses observed Billings exiting the driver’s seat of the car immediately after the crash. Billings admitted that he had been drinking, but refused to give a sample of his breath or blood to the Trooper.

Circuit Court Judge Laura Johnson scheduled sentencing for Billings for August 13, 2015. The class D felony of driving while intoxicated carries a maximum penalty of four (4) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a $5,000.00 fine. Billings was charged with the class D felony because he had previously pleaded guilty to two (2) prior DWIs in Taney County, making Billings a persistent DWI offender.