Those accused and convicted of drunk driving may be subjected to life-long consequences. In Wisconsin, a defendant convicted for a first Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) offense faces stringent penalties including a fine, license revocation, mandatory alcohol assessment along with education or treatment and more. For multiple offenses, a defendant faces even greater consequences, which include those mentioned above, mandatory prison sentences and significant fines. A Wisconsin man faces these serious penalties after his arrest for his alleged seventh OWI offense.
Police arrested the Wisconsin man for drunk driving in the course of a program for traffic enforcement. Police also charged the accused with possession of marijuana. In addition, the man had been convicted of six prior drunk driving offenses.
In Wisconsin, a fourth offense (with one prior that’s five years old or less) is considered a felony. This is also true for the fifth offense and a subsequent number of drunk driving offenses. Felonies are considered the most serious class of criminal offenses, and a defendant charged with a felony may face over a year in prison and/or a fine. If the accused is convicted of a seventh OWI offense, he faces penalties that include three to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. In Wisconsin, the prohibited blood alcohol levels decrease based upon the number of offenses for drunk driving. For a first, second or third drunk driving offense, the prohibited blood alcohol level is .08. For a fourth or greater number of offenses, the blood alcohol level is .02.
Although the accused has been previously convicted of drunk driving, he should still be given a fair trial because of the serious consequences related to a seventh OWI offense in Wisconsin. The accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: Madison.com, “Stoughton man arrested for alleged 7th drunk driving offense,” Aug. 11, 2012