COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho — On March 26, District Judge Casey Simmons sentenced Darin James Anderson, 33, to 10 years in prison with three years fixed and seven years indeterminate for a second offense felony DUI. Simmons also revoked Anderson’s driving privileges for five years, to begin after his release from prison.
Anderson changed his plea to guilty last November and now has four lifetime DUI convictions on his record, two of which are felony DUIs. Former District Judge Cynthia Meyers (now on the Idaho Supreme Court), placed Anderson on probation for his first felony DUI conviction in 2017. Idaho Code § 18-8005 allows for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison for a second felony DUI.
After listening to Anderson’s defense attorney share the number of programs and counseling services he has successfully completed, the judge commended Anderson for the work he has done to rehabilitate himself. However, she said that she considers driving after consuming alcohol to be one of the most dangerous criminal offenses because of the risk of injury and death to innocents.
When addressing the defendant, Simmons indicated that his history of driving under the influence means the public is only safe when he is behind bars.
Simmons waived all court fees pertaining to Anderson’s second felony DUI charge. Court records show that Anderson received a judgment against him for failure to maintain driver’s insurance in Nov. 2024 and did not pay the fee imposed by District Judge Destry Randles.
During sentencing, Simmons noted Anderson’s extensive criminal record began in 2005 when he was a juvenile. Anderson was immediately remanded into custody and has 42 days to appeal.
According to the Idaho State Bar, Simmons was given a 2023 Service Award for dedication to the betterment of the legal profession. Her legal career includes clerking for now retired Judge John T. Mitchell, six years of work in the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, and private practice at Winston & Cashatt.
Simmons was appointed to the bench by Governor Brad Little in September 2024 following the retirement of District Judge Richard Christensen.
Kootenai County Jail did not respond to our Public Records Request for Anderson’s booking photo by time of publication. This article will be updated once the photo has been provided.
