Friday Harbor arson suspect had seven previous criminal convictions in Washington, including one for DUI in San Juan County in January

The Friday Harbor man arrested on suspicion of setting the fire that destroyed four buildings on April 7 had seven criminal convictions in the state of Washington between April 2007 and Jan. 2022. The most recent conviction, a gross misdemeanor for driving under the influence, was handed down in San Juan County District Court.

Dwight Henline, age 33, was arrested for driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content of 0.234 by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office on July 8, 2021 after crashing his vehicle into the side of a San Juan Island home. The owners of the home were inside and asleep at the time of the crash. He pled guilty to the DUI charge in front of District Court Judge Carolyn Jewett on Jan. 12, 2022.

Following the recommendation of the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, Jewett ordered Henline to serve two days in jail, with the remaining 362 days of the sentence suspended. Henline was given five years of probation – the maximum allowable amount for the offense – and ordered to pay restitution of $1,598.

At sentencing, Henline’s public defender, Alex Frix, argued for two years of probation, explaining that his client was taking part in mental health counseling and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The public defender also noted that while the outcome of the case was pending, Henline was pulled over by Sheriff’s deputies, charged with driving with a suspended license, and was hospitalized for mental health issues as part of that incident. The County declined to consider the incident in connection with the DUI case.

“This is a very serious DUI,” Jewett explained at sentencing. “I hope you can recognize how lucky you are to be sitting here, to have the opportunity to sit here in court and address this. It’s very lucky that you weren’t seriously injured or killed in this crash. It’s also very lucky that no one else was injured. What if your car had hit a residence in an area where people were sleeping?”

“I do think five years [of probation] is appropriate because of the high level of alcohol – I believe there were alcohol containers in the car – and the seriousness of the crash. This is a really serious first-time DUI. I hope you see those five years as an opportunity to keep on the correct path. It sounds like you’re making steps toward where you need to be, taking the help of other people, and that’s all positive.”

In asking the judge to waive all financial penalties except restitution, Frix cited Henline’s mental health issues. “He’s very concerned about becoming unhoused. He’s lost some employment opportunities based on this case. He’s really on the edge. He doesn’t have a lot of resources right now. His mental health conditions and his recent arrest really affect his ability to have the work that he feels he would normally be capable of.”

Henline was ordered to serve his two-day jail sentence starting Feb. 8.

The January criminal conviction was Henline’s seventh. He was convicted of criminal trespass in Island County Superior Court in March 2015. In Apr. 2007, Henline was convicted in Island County on two counts of assault in the fourth degree and one count each of malicious mischief, obstructing law enforcement, and resisting arrest.

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