photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Rachell Denise Redding

A Lawrence woman was sentenced to more than three years in prison on Tuesday in Douglas County District Court for a drunk-driving crash that injured a man and his dog.

Rachell Denise Redding, 32, pleaded no contest in March to one felony count of aggravated battery and her second misdemeanor DUI. The charges relate to an accident around 2:30 a.m. on July 1, 2022, when Redding was driving a white Nissan Altima westbound on 23rd Street, then ran a red light at Iowa Street and struck a Ford Escape, as the Journal-World reported. After the accident a test showed that her blood alcohol level was .193, more than twice the legal limit of .08 in Kansas.

Judge Amy Hanley sentenced Redding to 44 months in prison for the battery charge, or just over 3.5 years, and a year in jail for the DUI, to run concurrently, after she denied a motion for probation filed by Redding’s defense attorney, Courtney Henderson. Given Redding’s criminal history, she was not eligible for probation under the Kansas sentencing guidelines absent a compelling reason to deviate.

Henderson asked for Redding to be granted 36 months of probation instead of prison, arguing that Redding had taken responsibility for her actions by pleading to the aggravated battery charge knowing that it could mean prison. He said that Redding has been involved in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous since October 2022 and was working to overcome her problems with addiction and alcoholism.

Redding is employed and has a daughter she is responsible for, Henderson said.

Redding addressed the court and apologized to the victim and his family, who were in the courtroom.

“I am extremely sorry for the pain I have caused … through my reckless actions. If I could take it all back, I would. I didn’t realize until that moment that I had an alcohol problem,” Redding said as her body shook and tears ran down her cheeks.

Redding said that she was working to change her life so that she was never again responsible for hurting someone.

Assistant District Attorney Christen Secrest objected to probation for Redding, arguing that Redding should receive the prison sentence and the maximum penalty for the DUI, 12 months in jail.

“This is a very serious case. It is her second DUI. and she permanently injured someone,” Secrest said.

The man who was driving the Ford Escape has daily pain and mobility issues in his shoulder from the accident, and there is no telling if the injury will lead to a disability later in life, Secrest said. The man’s car was totaled after the accident, and his dog may have permanent nerve damage, she said.

Secrest said that Redding did not learn from her first DUI.

After hearing arguments, Hanley acknowledged Redding’s family and friends who attended the hearing as well as the victim and his family before denying the departure to probation.

“I have seen too many of these cases, some fatalities, and I always wish I could do more. In this case, I can do more by holding you accountable,” Hanley said.

By giving Redding a prison term, Hanley said that she was ensuring public safety and removing any threat that Redding starts drinking again and puts someone else at risk. Hanley said that this being Redding’s second DUI factored heavily in her decision.

Redding was convicted in Douglas County for felony conspiracy to commit burglary in 2014, misdemeanor DUI in 2015, and misdemeanor endangerment of a child and misdemeanor furnishing alcohol to a minor in 2019, according to court records.

Redding was taken into custody after the hearing. She had been free on a $15,000 bond since her arrest in November 2022.