A 34-year-old Blaine County man has been charged with misdemeanor DUI for allegedly driving drunk on a John Deere Gator all-terrain utility vehicle in the Gimlet area south of Ketchum.
Kent J. Muer was taken into custody shortly before noon on Friday after a Gimlet resident complained that he was driving the vehicle on her property. The Blaine County Sheriff's Office reported Monday that Muer was apprehended near the intersection of Gimlet Road and Hanger Road.
Muer is also being investigated for possible theft or burglary charges following complaints after his arrest that at least two residences had been broken into in the Gimlet area.
"Some of the reported missing items were found in the back of the Gator," said sheriff's Capt. Curtis Miller. "It's still ongoing—we need to make sure if any of the property was his."
<
Miller said the missing items included computer equipment and an air rifle.
Muer was arraigned on the DUI charge Monday in Blaine County Magistrate Court and later released from custody after posting $500 bond.
Muer is also facing another misdemeanor DUI charge and a felony marijuana possession charge for an arrest in Hailey on Jan. 11. Hailey police reported then that Muer was pulled over in a traffic stop for allegedly speeding through town in a 2003 Lexus. Police reported that the marijuana, weighing eight-tenths of a pound, was found in the vehicle after Muer was taken into custody on the DUI charge.
In Idaho, possession of more than 3 ounces of marijuana constitutes a felony. Possession of less than 3 ounces is a misdemeanor, unless the drug is found packaged for apparent sale.
A jury trial in that case is scheduled to begin in Blaine County 5th District Court on Oct. 18.
According to court records, Muer also had a misdemeanor DUI conviction in Blaine County in 2007.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Kent J. Muer
