Alexander Z. Caldwell Sentenced to Up to 10 Years for Felony DUI

A Post Falls driver received a maximum prison term after pleading guilty to felony driving under the influence. Alexander Z. Caldwell, 28, of Post Falls was sentenced March 6, 2026 to up to 10 years in prison, with First District Judge John Cafferty setting parole eligibility after four years.

Court records available to reporters are incomplete on one key item of Caldwell’s sentence. The contemporaneous sentencing text available to this newsroom quotes the judge as imposing the maximum term and then reads, verbatim, that the judge "ordered a five-year suspen", the line ends mid-word in the document provided. The truncated language leaves unclear whether the judge imposed a five-year suspended sentence, five years of post-release supervision, or another five-year condition.

Critical sentencing details remain unreported in the public materials obtained so far. The available source does not list a docket number, the name of Caldwell’s defense attorney, any fines or restitution, ignition interlock or alcohol treatment requirements, or whether the 10-year term is to run concurrently or consecutively with any other sentence. Reporters have requested the complete judgment and sentence from the First District Court clerk and have contacted the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office for the prosecutor of record and for clarification of the truncated order.

The Caldwell sentence arrives amid several high-profile criminal sentences affecting Kootenai County. In a separate Post Falls case, Dakota W. Abel, 29, a Louisiana man, was sentenced to 10 years with parole eligibility after eight years following a conviction for molesting an eight-year-old in Post Falls; prosecuting attorney Stanley Mortensen said, "The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office supports victims of crime, particularly children who have been abused by the hands of a trusted adult. This type of conduct is among the worst in society and we appreciate all who work to protect children."

Other recent sentences include Christopher Daniel Hayes, 40, of Post Falls, who was sentenced September 12, 2025 by Senior District Judge John Mitchell to 15 years in prison for enticing a child through the internet, with parole eligibility after 12 years; Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Molly Nivison and Criminal Chief Deputy Laura McClinton were credited in the prosecution. Federally, Darek Williams, 33, of Post Falls was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford to 154 months for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death after an August 2022 sale in a Post Falls parking lot; court materials quote, "In 2022, there were approximately 107,081 overdose deaths in the United States. More than two-thirds of those deaths (70,000+) involved synthetic opioids, principally illicitly manufactured fentanyl."

This newsroom will publish the complete judgment and sentence for Alexander Z. Caldwell once obtained from the First District Court clerk and will report whether the abbreviated "ordered a five-year suspen" refers to a suspended term, supervision, or another condition. Full sentencing records are necessary to determine the duration of custody, post-release monitoring, and conditions that affect community safety in Kootenai County.