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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Agreement settles with other counties
Joseph Lee Cooper, 43, was sentenced in Lincoln County Superior Court to serve 48 months of jail with an additional 6 months in community custody on Tuesday, April 8.
DAVENPORT - A man charged with multiple felonies across several counties was sentenced to 48 months in prison in Lincoln County Superior Court on Tuesday, April 8, after pleading guilty as part of a global plea agreement.
Joseph Lee Cooper, 43, appeared before Judge Jeffery Barkdull to be sentenced on two felony charges stemming from a high-speed chase last November that ended in a wheat field outside Davenport.
The court originally considered a 50-month prison term. However, Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Albertson reminded the court of a statute requiring a one-third reduction of the community custody term, prompting Judge Barkdull to revise the sentence to 48 months, followed by six months of community custody.
Cooper's offenses included possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and attempting to elude police.
According to court records, he led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in a stolen 1975 Dodge Power Wagon, reaching speeds of up to 65 mph within Davenport city limits before deputies detained him in a field east of Jannett Road.
His plea was part of a broader resolution involving additional charges in Douglas and Chelan counties.
"We have a resolution," Cooper's defense attorney said. "He has been an outstanding inmate and not caused any issues while in custody."
The court reviewed Cooper's criminal history, with an offender score of 15 for one count and 14 for the second.
"Your criminal history is astounding," Barkdull said. "I could normally go above the sentence for an offender score like this. This is outrageous and I could easily go to the top end, but I will go with 50 months here."
Cooper became emotional during the sentencing hearing.
"I have had a lot of time to think and to study," he told the court. "I am too old for this now. Drugs played a big part of it and I was in a dark place in my life. I have done a lot of soul searching."
His attorney echoed the sentiment, saying the incarceration had "flushed his mind," and described Cooper as a man struggling with addiction who had finally begun to seek change.
Judge Barkdull waived filing fees and ordered a payment plan of $25 per month beginning 60 days after Cooper's release. No restitution was imposed. Cooper was also ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation and follow any recommended treatment.
"Mr. Cooper, if you don't get it under control now, you are going to ruin the rest of your life," Barkdull warned.
Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.
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