DWAI CONVICTION AND SENTENCE

DELHI - Delaware County District Attorney Shawn J. Smith announced today that Monica Bell, 49 of Worcester, appeared in Sidney Village Court on March 31, 2026, in front of the Honorable Andrew Skrobanski and pleaded guilty to Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, an Unclassified Misdemeanor. Judge Skrobanski sentenced the defendant to a one-year conditional discharge, revoked her license for at least 6 months, and imposed a fine of $1,000.00. The defendant was also ordered to pay a surcharge of $395.00 and will be required to pay an annual driver assessment fee of $250.00 for the next three years. 

Trooper Alex Hoskins was patrolling Delaware Avenue in the Village of Sidney on November 11, 2025, when he observed a pickup truck failing to stay in the lane, going over the fog line multiple times and then almost off the road.  The truck then abruptly turned into the Price Chopper parking lot with no signal. After initiating a traffic stop, Trooper Hoskins observed that the driver, identified as Monica Bell, had slow speech and droopy eyelids.  He also smelled the odor of burnt marijuana.  Trooper Hoskins performed Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on Bell, which she failed.  After receiving consent to search the vehicle, Trooper Hoskins found multiple bottles of hydrocodone and other drug paraphernalia within the truck. The defendant refused to provide a sample of her blood for testing.

District Attorney Shawn Smith thanked Trooper Alex Hoskins of the New York State Police for his investigation into this case. “Alcohol is not the only thing compromising a driver’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.   Marijuana and prescription drugs are becoming more prevalent.  I commend law enforcement for getting these dangerous drivers off our roads.”

First Assistant District Attorney Susan Mallery prosecuted the case.