photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Rachell Denise Redding

A Lawrence woman entered a no-contest plea to DUI and aggravated battery in Douglas County District Court on Thursday for a crash that seriously injured a man in 2022.

The woman, Rachell Denise Redding, 31, was originally charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery, one misdemeanor count of transporting an open container and misdemeanor DUI for her second offense, according to charging documents. Assistant District Attorney Christen Secrest said the state dismissed the open container charge and one of the two battery charges as part of a plea agreement.

Redding was charged in November in connection with the crash, and Secrest said the charges relate to an accident around 2:30 a.m. on July 1, 2022. Secrest said Redding was driving a white Nissan Altima westbound on Clinton Parkway and then ran a red light at Iowa Street and struck a Ford Escape.

Secrest said that an officer responding to the scene spoke to Redding and noted that she had lacerations on her face and smelled of alcohol.

When the officer asked Redding if she had been drinking, Secrest said, Redding told the officer that she’d had six “tallboys” of Corona beer at the Outhouse, 1837 North 1500 Road. Secrest said Redding told the officer that she arrived at The Outhouse around 9:30 p.m. and had left the club about 30 minutes prior to the crash.

A blood draw taken from Redding after the accident showed that her blood alcohol level was .193, Secrest said. The legal limit in Kansas is .08.

Redding’s battery charges relate to the passenger in her vehicle who was injured and the man in the Ford Escape. The man has not fully recovered from the accident and has persistent pain and mobility issues with his shoulder and a visible bump sticking out of his shoulder, Secrest said.

Redding has a prior DUI conviction in Douglas County, from 2015, and was also convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary, a felony, in 2014, according to court records.

Judge Amy Hanley said that with Redding’s apparent criminal history she faces between 38 and 43 months in prison, but that the terms of her plea agreement would allow Redding’s defense attorney, Courtney Henderson, to argue for probation. Hanley added that as the case stands now, Redding faces a presumptive prison sentence, in accordance with state sentencing guidelines.

Hanley scheduled Redding’s sentencing for June 20. Redding is currently out of custody on a $15,000 own-recognizance bond, meaning she was not required to put up any money to bond out of jail but may be charged that amount if she fails to appear in court.