Saturday, May 18, 2013
The National Transportation Safety Board wants another lowering of the blood-alcohol standard for drunk driving. It stands at .08; the NTSB wants it at .05.
The National Transportation Safety Board wants the blood-alcohol threshold for drunk driving to be lowered to .05 from .08. Wisconsin followed the rest of the country from a .10 to .08 standard in 2003, under the threat of losing federal highway funds. The state had almost 29,000 DUI arrests in 2011, almost 10,000 fewer than in 2000 but still the sixth-highest per-capita amount in the country. And police regularly arrest people for driving with concentrations two and three times the current legal limit, and/or for multiple convictions. Will a lower limit make Wisconsin citizens safer in any way? Or is it simply an unnecessary government intrusion? Vote in our poll and comment below. Related polls:
Friday, April 12, 2013
The driver had went home to get cash and told officers he was intent on returning to pay for the gas — but he was clearly intoxicated.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the penalties associated with the charges. A Port Washington resident is charged with his 3rd operating while intoxicated offense after officers tracked down his vehicle in connection with a gas drive-off. Gary Church, 50, was charged with his 3rd OWI charge on Monday, as well as an operating with prohibited alcohol content charge - 3rd offense. He faces $4,000 in fines and at least 90 days in jail, but up to 2 years, as well as up to 6 years of revocation of his license; because his blood alcohol content was higher than .170, his fines may double. According to the criminal complaint, Saukville police recieved a call from Beck's Mobile at 1:25 a.m. March 5 of a gas drive-off. Officers…
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A 54-year-old Saukville man is facing charges for his 6th operating while intoxicated offense after being caught driving at speeds more than 90 mph on Interstate 43.
A 54-year-old Saukville man is facing charges for his 6th operating while intoxicated offense after being caught driving at speeds more than 90 mph on Interstate 43. John Krieger was charged with a 6th offense OWI on Monday. He faces fines of up to $10,000 and 6 years in jail. Those penalties could be doubled, tripled or quadrupled pending his blood alcohol content; a blood test was taken and sent for chemical testing. He may also lose his drivers license for two years but not more than three years. A citizen called police on Saturday to report a possibly intoxicated driver, according to the criminal complaint. Using the suspected vehicle's license plate, officers determined the car belonged to a Saukville resident and an on-duty officer …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Sunday's St. Patrick's Day is among the biggest binge drinking events of the year in Wisconsin. Is it the biggest?
Almost any national ranking of alcohol consumption finds Wisconsin near the top. Forbes Magazine named Milwaukee “America’s Drunkest City” in 2006. A story from 24/7 Wall St. ranked the state No. 6 among beer-drinking states in 2011, citing statistics that say Wisconsin has more binge drinkers and heavy drinkers than any other. And at least one study suggests Wisconsin has the most drunk drivers in the nation. In a state that loves to find an excuse to lift a glass, which special event inspires the most drinking to excess? Vote in our poll and discuss the issue in our Comment stream.
Monday, March 11, 2013
The officer noticed the woman speeding in Grafton, and then realized her license was also suspended before being able to pull her over off Highway 32 near Interstate 43.
A Port Washington resident faces charges for a 4th OWI incident after catching an officers attention while speeding. Angela Smith, 45, of Port Washington, faces a misdemeanor charge of operating while intoxicated, 4th offense. If convicted, she faces fines of $2,000 and 60 days in jail, as well as up to 3 years of revocation of her license. At about 1:22 a.m. Monday, an officer noticed a car driving above the speed limit on North Port Washington Road near Pawnee Drive in Grafton, according to a police report. In running the license plates, the officer noticed that the car owner’s driving privileges were suspended. The officer followed the car onto the northbound ramp of Interstate 43, and then turned on his emergency lights to get the …
Friday, March 1, 2013
The 39-year-old Saukville man sold marijuana to the undercover officer several times in late 2012.
A Saukville man who sold marijuana to an undercover officer on multiple occasions was charged in Ozaukee County Court this week. John Slaton, 39, faces two felony counts of manufacturing and delivering THC near a school, and two additional counts of manufacturing and delivering THC; he also faces eight counts of felony bail jumping. In total, he's facing 72 years in prison, $120,000 in fines and could lose his driving privileges for a total of 20 years. The first drug exchange took place on Oct. 29, when an undercover officer made arrangements to purchase marijuana from Slaton outside Sundance Tavern, according to the criminal complaint. The two exchanged $50 for 3.6 grams of what later positively tested for the presence of THC. On Nov. 2…
Monday, February 25, 2013
A 32-year-old Port Washington man failed field sobriety tests after driving up a curb and hitting a sign.
A Port Washington man is facing his fifth OWI charge after failing field sobriety tests and being found with a bag of what officers believed to be synthetic marijuana. Kevin Kroboth, 32, faces one felony charge of operating while intoxicated, fifth or sixth offense, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. He faces 6 years, 30 days in prison, $10,500 in fines and revocation of his driving privileges for up to eight years. A Port Washington officer in the area of West Grand Avenue and North Sweetwater Boulevard at 4:12 p.m. Feb. 13 was alerted to a crash after hearing a "crunching noise," according to the criminal complaint. He noticed tire tracks from a car running up the curb and hitting a road sign, where it was …
Monday, December 10, 2012
Police found the 64-year-old Fredonia man unconscious in his vehicle after the crash.
A 64-year-old Fredonia man is accused of his fourth drunk driving offense after police say he crashed his vehicle into bushes at Walgreens in Saukville. George H. Volesky was charged in Ozaukee County Circuit Court on Monday with one count of fourth offense operating while intoxicated. If convicted, he faces up to one year in jail and $2,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint: On Nov. 30, Saukville police officers were called to Walgreens after witnesses saw Volesky’s vehicle roll over a curb and crash into some bushes. When officer’s arrived, Volesky was unconscious inside the vehicle. After waking up, Volesky told police he drank and took pills. He was unable to perform field sobriety tests due to his intoxication levels and …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
An Oak Creek man arrested for drunk driving last week has six prior convictions, but only one since 1996. How much should that time span factor into what punishment he faces now, if at all?
Should the time between drunk driving arrests have an impact on how those people are handled in the courts? An Oak Creek man was arrested for operating while intoxicated last week near Mitchell International Airport. The 51-year-old man has six prior convictions, but only one in the last 16 years. If a person’s second OWI comes at least 10 years after the first, then it is generally treated like a “first offense” in Wisconsin. But if it happens a third time — no matter when any of them occurred — then the person is considered to have two first-offense convictions and a third-offense conviction. In the case of the Oak Creek man, he was given a two-year prison sentence for his sixth offense, in 2002, but it was “stayed,” essentially turning …
Friday, July 6, 2012
Suspect gives odd responses to police officers, leading them to believe she's having a medical issue after they're called for a possible intoxicated driver.
Update: On April 9, 2013, the charges in this case were dismissed. Original story: A 41-year-old Port Washington woman is facing charges after she was allegedly arrested in Milwaukee while carrying amphetamine pills in an Altoids container. The woman was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Thursday with one count of possession of a controlled substance. If convicted, she faces up to 3 ½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines. According to the criminal complaint: On June 29, Milwaukee police officers were called to the 100 block of West Holt Avenue after someone reported the woman was sleeping inside a car with the air conditioning on and appeared to be on drugs. When officers arrived, the woman said she’s a former methamphetamine …
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$$andSense
9:14 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
@me Let us just agree that there may be a little more accountability for every law introduced in the future. Hmmm?   more ›