A local newspaper has recently revealed that a Wisconsin lawmaker was charged with an OWI in 2018. This was technically his second OWI offense, but since the first OWI happened over a decade ago, the 2018 charge was treated as a first offense. In the state of Wisconsin, a first offense is filed as a traffic ticket instead of a crime. As a result, knowledge about the OWI was not available to the public.
In a statement, the lawmaker apologized for the OWI. He admitted that he had been driving under the influence in 2018 and had struggled with alcoholism for years. In his statement, he claimed that he sought therapy after the incident and started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings again.
The first offense occurred in 2003, when the lawmaker was working as a radio talk show host. He left a strip club and started driving while he was drunk, which caused him to crash his vehicle. After being hospitalized, he returned to his show and promised his listeners that he would never make that mistake again.
In 2012, the lawmaker talked publicly about the incident. He admitted that he had been driving drunk and crashed his motorcycle, sustaining a broken arm and leg. In a statement to the newspaper that broke the news about his 2018 OWI, the lawmaker said that he’s struggled with addiction for years and wants to set a positive example for his constituents. His Democratic opponent in the 2020 race sent him positive wishes.
What should you do if you’re charged with an OWI?
You might have been charged with drunk driving, but that doesn’t mean the police acted legally. An attorney may evaluate your case and question the prosecution if they illegally stopped you or searched your vehicle. They may also defend you against false breathalyzer results.
