Santa Rosa man gets prison after 19 DUI convictions

A Santa Rosa man who avoided a prison term after his 19th drunken driving conviction was sentenced to prison Thursday for violating his probation.

William Rylan Beall was ordered to serve three years in prison after probation officials said they found alcohol in his home during an unannounced search.

The Press Democrat says Judge Julie Conger had shown leniency in sentencing Beall in December because of his efforts at sobriety. The search of his home came just two days after the judge allowed him to remain free while she considered placing him in a residential alcohol treatment facility.

The newspaper reports the 65-year-old Beall has a record of drunken driving convictions dating back to 1966.

A pre-sentencing report shows that he had avoided a DUI conviction for nearly eight years until his arrest in the most recent incident in July.

This article appeared on page C - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle