Everyone has made decisions that have impacted their futures. However, some of these decisions may have negative consequences that may not be as easily visible in the present time. For example, making the decision to drive under the influence may mean not only having to spend the night in jail, but also future consequences including permanent criminal record and difficulty in finding future employment. Unfortunately, a man arrested for drunk driving may face these serious penalties.
Police say that a 40-year-old Wisconsin man was arrested for his sixth DUI after a concerned driver called 911 to report that the man was veering on the interstate. According to the caller, the man and a passenger in the veering car switched seats. According to police, Wisconsin deputy stopped the veering car and the passenger told the deputy that she had switched seats with the man. Police say that the 40-year-old man accused of drunk driving was uncooperative at first and denied being under the influence of alcohol. The man’s preliminary breath test registered higher than the state’s legal limit.
In Wisconsin, the prohibited blood or breath legal limit is 0.08 for first through third offenses. This limit is shortened to 0.02 for subsequent drunk driving offenses. A person convicted of a sixth DUI offense, such as the man above, faces more than six years in jail or prison, a fine up to $10,000 in addition to costs of $500, revocation of the defendant’s driver’s license, installation of an ignition interlock system and a mandatory alcohol assessment with treatment. In Wisconsin, a sixth DUI conviction is a felony offense.
After a few drinks, people may be more under the influence of alcohol than they feel. In these times, it is important to recognize the risks and penalties of being charged with a DUI.
Source: WITI, “40-year-old Sheboygan man arrested for sixth DUI offense,” Trisha Bee, March 29, 2013