{"id":72675,"date":"2026-11-10T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T14:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/?p=72675"},"modified":"2026-11-09T17:48:24","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T23:48:24","slug":"bemidji-woman-charged-with-drug-dwi-after-traffic-stop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/bemidji-woman-charged-with-drug-dwi-after-traffic-stop\/","title":{"rendered":"Bemidji Woman Charged With Drug DWI After Traffic Stop"},"content":{"rendered":"

BEMIDJI, MN<\/strong> (trfnews.i234.me<\/a>) \u2013 Jessica Leah Needham, 30, faces two criminal charges following an October traffic stop in Bemidji.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors charged Needham with drug-related driving while impaired and driving after revocation.<\/p>\n

The charges stem from an October 12, 2026, traffic stop in Beltrami County.<\/p>\n

Traffic Stop Leads to Investigation<\/h2>\n

According to the criminal complaint, deputies were patrolling Bemidji around 12:14 a.m.<\/p>\n

They spotted a vehicle near Jefferson Avenue SW and Carr Lake Road SW.<\/p>\n

A registration check showed the vehicle’s registration had expired in November 2025.<\/p>\n

Deputies stopped the vehicle near Jefferson Avenue and Harrison Court.<\/p>\n

Needham was identified as the driver.<\/p>\n

She reportedly told deputies she was returning home from the Nymore area.<\/p>\n

Deputies questioned her route because it was not the most direct way home.<\/p>\n

The complaint states that Needham became nervous and spoke more loudly.<\/p>\n

She allegedly admitted she did not have a valid driver’s license.<\/p>\n

She also could not provide proof of insurance.<\/p>\n

Deputies Report Signs of Possible Impairment<\/h2>\n

During the stop, deputies reported several possible signs of impairment.<\/p>\n

These included watery eyes, unusual hand and head movements, and limited eye contact.<\/p>\n

Deputies also reported that Needham gave different explanations about her earlier activities.<\/p>\n

Needham initially denied using controlled substances.<\/p>\n

She told investigators she had been sober and reported taking prescribed medications, including gabapentin.<\/p>\n

Needham agreed to complete field sobriety testing.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, deputies observed additional signs they believed suggested impairment.<\/p>\n

These included eyelid tremors and pupils showing little response to light.<\/p>\n

Blood or Urine Testing Authorized<\/h2>\n

Deputies arrested Needham and transported her to the Beltrami County Jail.<\/p>\n

Investigators obtained a search warrant for a blood or urine sample.<\/p>\n

Needham chose to provide a urine sample for testing.<\/p>\n

During that process, she reportedly admitted experiencing a relapse earlier in October.<\/p>\n

The complaint does not provide laboratory results confirming the presence of a controlled substance.<\/p>\n

\"Jessica<\/a>
Jessica Leah Needham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Driving Record Shows Earlier Revocation<\/h2>\n

A review of Needham’s driving record showed her license was revoked on December 15, 2017.<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, that revocation remained active during the October traffic stop.<\/p>\n

The complaint also lists a February 2018 conviction for third-degree DWI.<\/p>\n

Two Criminal Charges Filed<\/h2>\n

Needham faces one gross misdemeanor count of driving while impaired by a controlled substance.<\/p>\n

The charge references Minnesota Statute 169A.20<\/a> and the state’s third-degree DWI law.<\/p>\n

The gross misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.<\/p>\n

She also faces a misdemeanor charge of driving after revocation.<\/p>\n

That charge falls under Minnesota Statute 171.24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.<\/p>\n

Case Filed in Beltrami County Court<\/h2>\n

The case is filed in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District under court file number 04-CR-26-2520.<\/p>\n

The complaint indicates Needham is eligible for DWI Court screening.<\/p>\n

That designation does not establish whether she will enter the program.<\/p>\n

Additional case information may be available through Minnesota Court Records Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The charges are allegations. Needham is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.<\/p>\n

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jessica Leah Needham faces drug-related DWI and driving after revocation charges after a late-night Bemidji traffic stop on October 12, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":72679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"","timeOption":"","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":""},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12],"tags":[1212,1224,11029,883,26704],"trf_mt_town":[29430],"trf_mt_county":[29512],"trf_mt_topic":[29494,29493],"trf_mt_series":[],"class_list":["post-72675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime","tag-beltrami-county","tag-bemidji","tag-drug-charges","tag-dwi","tag-jessica-leah-needham"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72680,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72675\/revisions\/72680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72675"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_town","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_town?post=72675"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_county","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_county?post=72675"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_topic?post=72675"},{"taxonomy":"trf_mt_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trf_mt_series?post=72675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}