By Casey Nelson
Jan 2, 2021 9:56 AM
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) â A pair of Northeast Wisconsin men were arrested New Yearâs Day on their fourth Operating While Intoxicated offenses each.
Wisconsin State Patrol say 45-year-old Scott Claussen, of Oshkosh, was spotted by a state trooper while his grey Jeep Wrangler was parked in traffic along Green Valley Rd. near Woodenshoe Rd just before 3 a.m.
The trooper conducted field sobriety tests and Claussen was only able to complete one.
Authorities say Claussen was arrested on his fourth Operating Under the Influence offense while he was under a .02 blood alcohol concentration restriction.
A state trooper also stopped a vehicle Friday evening on Highway 57 in Forest County in relation to an equipment violation.
It s an interesting contrast. According to the news sources and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 2020 has seen a increase in road/traffic-related deaths - easily surpassing the totals of the last two years. At the same time, Wisconsin is in the midst of a 15-year cycle in which yearly convictions for Operating While Intoxicated and overall alcohol-related crashes is down.
The good news first: News sources report that the Legislative Reference Bureau lists yearly convictions for both OWI s and certain related offenses are down by 17,720 in the period covering 2004 to 2018; Alcohol-related fatal crashes have also declined in Wisconsin in the past 12 years, a trend consistent across the country .
Janesville man accused of his fourth OWI offense beloitdailynews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from beloitdailynews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
LANSING, Mich. A bill that passed through the Michigan House and Senate will give drivers with only one Operating While Intoxicated offense a clear criminal record, if signed into law.
The bill is an amendment to a package of bills passed earlier this year that cleared a number of criminal records, but did not offer any expungement to drivers with a only a first-time OWI offense.
If signed into law by Governor Whitmer, the bill would take place in April of 2021.
“This is an important milestone,” said Sarissa Montague, criminal defense attorney with Kalamazoo-based Levine & Levine Attorneys at Law. “I strongly believe that those with a one-time offense of operating a vehicle while intoxicated should be eligible to clear their records.”
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – A 25-year-old Sturgis woman is facing numerous charges after she allegedly stole a St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office patrol car and led police on a chase early Monday morning.
St. Joseph County Sheriff Mark A. Lillywhite say deputies were dispatched at 3:12 a.m. to Lutz Road near Hoshel Road for a single vehicle accident.
The driver was later arrested for operating while intoxicated. While the vehicle was being searched, the woman was able to slip free from her handcuffs and crawl through the petition and steal the patrol vehicle.
She then headed south on Lutz Road but when she reached the intersection of U.S. 12, the driver went off the road and struck a utility pole and several trees.