Hicks pleads guilty to felony DWI

GUILDERLAND — Alphonzo Hicks, 57, of Troy, was arrested for aggravated driving while intoxicated, a felony, in Guilderland, in February, and pleaded guilty to felony DWI in Albany County Court on Wednesday.

Hicks was arrested by the Guilderland Police on Feb. 3, at 3767 Carman Road, for driving while intoxicated, his third offense.

According to the Guilderland Police report, he was observed in the parking lot of Mike’s Diner, with his car running, and several minutes later, officers received a call that someone was attempting to enter the diner, which was closed. When the officers arrived, they discovered Hicks trying to get into the diner, and noted a strong odor of alcohol.

Hicks was unable to complete field sobriety tests and, according to the report, registered a blood alcohol content of .27.

After Hicks was placed in custody, the police found a half-empty bottle of vodka in his car, the report said.

Hicks pleaded guilty, before Judge Peter A. Lynch, on March 19, according to a release from the Albany County District Attorney’s office.

Hicks will be sentenced on May 14, and faces one to three years in state prison, the installation of an ignition interlock device for three years following his release, a $1,000 a fine, and a minimum of one year of license revocation.

He faced a maximum of one-and-one-third to four years in state prison at trial if found guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Mary Tanner-Richter.

More Guilderland News

  • No formal application has been submitted to the town, but members of the development team looking to build the project at 6 and 10 Mercy Care Lane met this week with Guilderland’s Development Planning Committee.

  • The proposal looks to improve stormwater drainage, which currently runs to Route 20. The town’s engineer, Jesse Fraine, said he was still in the midst of reviewing the proposal but told the board, “From what I’ve seen, everything is meeting or at least reasonably meeting" requirements from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

  • The Guilderland School Board was chosen for the “nice” list because it filled a board vacancy by conducting interviews in a public videotaped session. Mark Grimm was lauded for his push for government transparency.

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.