FARMINGTON — Farmington and Freeman Township women each pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in May.

Brenda S. Dwiggins, 62, of Farmington who is principal of  Strong Elementary School, and Dora York, 52, of Freeman Township, the former Regional School Unit 73 food service director in the Jay area, each entered a plea as their attorney,  Walter “Woody” Hanstein, stood at their side in Franklin County Superior Court.

Both women entered an agreement that delays sentencing for a year. If they successfully fulfill the conditions the agreement, they will be able to withdraw their pleas and plea to a misdemeanor charge of driving to endanger. If not successful, they face up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. A conviction for driving to endanger is punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

In York’s case, Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Derrick Doucette pulled York’s truck over for speeding the evening of May 1 on Route 4 in Strong, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. previously said. She failed a field sobriety test, he said.

In Dwiggins’ case, Farmington police officer Brandon Sholan noticed a defective headlight on the vehicle Dwiggins was driving the evening of May 3 and stopped it on Perham Street.

Sholan wrote in his report that he performed a standard interview with Dwiggins, during which he became suspicious alcohol might be “involved.” He then conducted a field sobriety test, after which Dwiggins was arrested, according to the report.

Both women had previously pleaded not guilty in May.

“Ms. Dwiggins came to court today to put this matter behind her at the first scheduled opportunity,” Hanstein wrote in an email. “She has an unblemished record and for nearly forty years she has served others in the military and as both a school teacher and administrator. I am certain that over the next year she will prove that she is deserving of the chance to have this charge reduced to a lesser one.”

On behalf of York, Hanstein wrote “The result in this case which will allow the OUI charge to be reduced recognizes that Ms. York has absolutely no prior criminal record and that she has constantly been active in civic programs which make her community stronger. She has resigned her position as the Food Services director for RSU 73 in the hopes of finding other challenging opportunities.”

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