Former Fresno police sergeant accepts plea deal: Legal analyst, DA's office weigh in

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A erstwhile Fresno constabulary sergeant has pleaded blameworthy to misdemeanor DUI and possession of a controlled substance.

Donald Dinnell pleaded blameworthy past week, sentenced to little than a period successful an big offender enactment program. The Fresno County District Attorney’s bureau told YourCentralValley.com they aggressively prosecuted the erstwhile sergeant for betraying the public's trust. 

“Accused of utilizing immoderate fentanyl and immoderate meth that seemingly had been taken from a fishy and was driving a squad car that crashed into a tree,” Criminal Defense Attorney and Legal Analyst Mark King said.

Dinnell agreed to a plea woody successful which he'll service 20 days successful an big offender enactment program. He initially faced robbery, amerciable possession of methamphetamine and DUI charges.

“A twelvemonth later, successful March of 2023, the felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors. I'm not wide arsenic to wherefore that happened,” King said.

Dinnell's condemnation volition statesman successful October. YourCentralValley.com asked King if determination was crushed to judge determination was immoderate preferential attraction towards Dinnell.

“I volition accidental that his defence attorney, Roger Wilson, did an highly bully job. He'll surely ne'er enactment successful instrumentality enforcement again,” King said.

The territory attorney's bureau said they sought a steeper sentence.

“Our authoritative formally requested an aggravated condemnation and stated connected the grounds that Mr. Dinnell abused the spot and authorization helium held arsenic a constabulary sergeant.”

The DA's bureau besides says the defence was hoping the plea woody would effect successful assemblage work alternatively of the 20-day enactment program. It’s a condemnation that the DA's bureau says is, “three to 4 times higher than what is emblematic for a misdemeanor DUI.”

But King said this plea woody isn’t retired of the ordinary.

“For a modular DUI, 20 days successful the big offender enactment programme is not unusual. A modular misdemeanor DUI,” King said.

Dinnell has not worked for the Fresno Police Department since 2022. 

“Normally, I would expect idiosyncratic who was a constabulary serviceman to beryllium treated much harshly by a justice than idiosyncratic who was not successful instrumentality enforcement,” King said.

Dinnell was besides fixed a ‘Watson Advisement’ which is simply a informing to anyone convicted of DUI that if they are nether the power portion driving again and origin a fatal crash, they could beryllium charged with murder.