Facing her seventh drunken-driving conviction in the last 20 years, a Santa Fe woman blamed the criminal justice system and asked a state District Court judge for mercy on Tuesday.

But District Judge Stephen Pfeffer was having none of it.

"Every time you have something go wrong, you blame the rest of the world," Pfeffer told Felicia Valencia. "You've done this on many occasions and you're dangerous. I have to do something to really call your attention to this."

Valencia, 44, faced a maximum of four years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated driving while intoxicated and battery on a police officer. Pfeffer sentenced her to 2 1/2 years behind bars, followed by five years probation and recommended that she receive treatment for alcohol abuse while incarcerated.

But the judge not only didn't sound hopeful that Valencia would ever stop drinking and driving, he said he feared for her future actions.

"I'm very afraid that when you get out, you won't get it," Pfeffer said.

He ordered Valencia to purchase auto insurance when she gets out of prison because if she kills or paralyzes someone while driving drunk in the future, he wants to make sure the person's family receives compensation. Pfeffer also warned her that she'll likely receive a life sentence in prison — more than 30 years — should that occur, because of her prior convictions.

"This is a serious call now for you to either get it or not get it," he said. "You're done having alcohol."

No one was injured as a result of Valencia's latest drunken-driving arrest, and it was impossible to learn Wednesday if any of her past DWIs resulted in injuries. Still, as prosecutor Juan Valencia pointed out, Felicia Valencia "gets really belligerent when she's intoxicated."

Juan Valencia and Felicia Valencia are not related.

That latest arrest occurred Sept. 20, when Felicia Valencia drove her car into a ditch. The Santa Fe police officer who arrived at the scene discovered her gunning the engine in an attempt to leave the scene, but the car was high-centered and wouldn't move, Juan Valencia said. The officer discovered a beer can near the car's door and arrested Felicia Valencia when she failed sobriety tests, he said.

After the officer handcuffed her and placed her in the back of his police car, she began to bang her head against the car's safety cage and kick the window. When the officer opened the door to re-handcuff her, she kicked him in the chest and the groin while "cursing up a storm," Juan Valencia said.

Felicia Valencia told the judge she was depressed that day because her husband had just been ordered to spend another three months in jail for driving drunk, and she "was lost without him." She apologized to the officer she kicked and said that while she'd graduated from drug court and intermittently received treatment and support for her depression, it hadn't gone far enough.

"I wanna be a good a citizen," she said. "I need help with my depression."

But the judge was not sympathetic.

"It sounds like you've received plenty of treatment," Pfeffer said.

Felicia Valencia, who also has been convicted of felony child abuse, will receive credit for spending the last seven months in jail and could be ordered to serve another year and a half in prison if she violates her probation.

Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or :jauslander@sfnewmexican.com.

Felicia Valencia's DWI convictions:

1. April 25, 1990 — Santa Fe Municipal Court

2. March 13, 1991 — Taos County Magistrate Court

3. August 15, 1995 — Santa Fe County Magistrate Court

4. June 24, 1997 — Santa Fe County Magistrate Court

5. August 12, 2003 — Santa Fe County Magistrate Court

6. Sept. 6, 2005 — 1st Judicial District Court

7. April 21, 2009 — 1st Judicial District Court