A driver from Wellston facing a felony count of driving while under the influence of alcohol and three other charges following his arrest by a state trooper, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
Donald Gene Barnett, 51, was arrested by State Trooper Barrett Karlin on July 3. On July 9, Barnett was formally charged in Lincoln County District Court with DUI.
On Aug. 12, Barnett and the state waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Special Judge Emily Mueller set his arraignment for 9:30 a.m. on Sep. 7.
He initially appeared before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk on July 6 and she set a $3,000 bond. On July 12, at his initial appearance, Judge Kirk scheduled a pre-preliminary hearing for Barnett for 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 12.
The felony accuses Barnett of driving and operating a motor vehicle on Highway 66 in Lincoln County while under the influence of alcohol.
Counts 2, 3 and 4 are misdemeanors.
In Count 2, he is charged with failure to maintain insurance or security by driving his vehicle without a security verification form.
Count 3 charges him with driving with license cancelled, suspended, revoked by operating his vehicle while his license was suspended by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
He is accused in Count 4 of speeding in excess of the lawful maximum limit, by traveling at a speed of 88 miles per hours on Highway 66 in Lincoln County where the speed limit is posted at 65 miles per hour which he exceeded.
State prosecutors filed supplemental information showing Barnett was convicted on April 15, 2014, in Pottawatomie County District Court of driving while under the influence of alcohol and given a one-year suspended sentence.
The trooper states in a probable cause affidavit that he observed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Highway 66 at a high rate of speed of 88 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone and confirmed his speed with his radar. Karlin reported he turned around on the vehicle and caught up with Barnett as he turned north off of Highway 66.
He determined he was under the influence of alcohol and later transported him to the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler and booked him on the charges filed against him.