Chester Man Sentenced to State Penitentiary

A Chester man will serve time in the state penitentiary on a felony 4th offense Driving Under the Influence charge.  62-year-old James Kurvink was sentenced Tuesday in Lake County Circuit Court on a charge that he had earlier pleaded guilty to.  

Circuit Judge Pat Pardy sentenced Kurvink to serve five years in the state penitentiary, but suspended three years of the sentence based on several conditions.  A couple of the conditions of the suspended sentence include that he pay fine, court costs and restitution, and reimburse the county for his court-appointed attorney’s fees.  Pardy also sentenced Kurvink to serve five years for violating probation of a previous charge. Three years of that sentence were also suspended. The sentences will run consecutively. 

The charges stem from an incident on November 24th of 2022. The sheriffs office had received a call regarding a vehicle in the ditch on 464th Avenue, near the intersection with South Shore Drive.  The investigation determined that Kurvink had been driving south on 464th Avenue and went into the ditch after he failed to negotiate a corner. Kurvink fled the scene of the crash and was later arrested.