Chicago man pleads guilty to DUI charge; 4-year-old daughter was in car at the time

A 60-year-old Chicago man pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI related to an April 1 car stop in Lawrence and agreed to spend 30 days on house arrest.

Cornell H. Fleischer entered the plea Tuesday morning in front of District Judge Peggy Kittel. Attorneys for both sides said Fleischer also would serve a mandatory 48-hour jail sentence and one year on probation as part of a plea agreement.

Lawrence police said Fleischer was arrested on April 1 after officers were called to the parking lot of 23rd Street Brewery, 3512 Clinton Parkway, to investigate a drunken driver.

Mark Simpson, a Douglas County assistant district attorney, said Tuesday in court that Fleischer’s 4-year-old daughter was in the car with him at the time. Defense attorney John Kerns said Fleischer’s blood-alcohol content shortly after driving was found to be above 0.08, the state’s legal limit to operate a vehicle.

As part of the plea agreement prosecutors dropped a child endangerment charge, but attorneys said they agreed to recommend the judge order Fleischer to serve 30 days on house arrest — in which he can only leave home for work and other court appearances — because the child was in the car.

Kittel is scheduled to sentence Fleischer Sept. 16.