Tulsa Man Convicted Of 3rd DUI Gets Rehab Instead Of Jail

Anthony Tramble was arrested in January after he ran from police and handed his nearly empty brandy bottle to the arresting officer.

1/12/2017 Related Story: Tulsa Man Arrested For Third DUI Says He Needs Help, Not Jail

Tramble did an exclusive jailhouse interview with News On 6 Crime Reporter Lori Fullbright in January. 

Tramble said in January that what he needed was help, not more prison time. 

An attorney saw the News On 6 story and decided to represent Tramble for free, and he worked out a deal that allows Tramble to avoid going back to prison and puts him in a treatment facility.

Not even 24 hours after police arrested Tramble for aggravated DUI, he said he needed help and that his drinking was bad. 

He was three times the legal limit.

He'd already been in and out of prison for a number of crimes, including two previous DUIs.

But, none of that helped him change his ways. He admitted he was an alcoholic and even though he'd been given chance after chance, he said he needed one more.

"People make mistakes and sometimes you just need help. I need help to turn things around and get better," Tramble said in January. 

Drug court refused to take Tramble because of his criminal history, but, the district attorney and judge agreed to a five-year suspended sentence for Tramble as long as he reported to House of Hope in Grove, an in-patient treatment facility. 

There is no set time he has to stay there. Their average length of time is 30 days.

His attorney said this is the best option for Tramble to finally address the issue that's been causing him so many personal and legal problems.

Once Tramble leaves House of Hope, he has to report to a counseling service.

If he gets arrested again in the next five years, the judge could then send Tramble to prison to serve out his sentence.