Sauk County jury convicts man on 4 counts

SAUK COUNTY, WIS. (CIVIC MEDIA) A Sauk County jury has found Michael D. Thompson, 57, guilty of Operating While Intoxicated following a trial before Sauk County Circuit Judge Blake Duren.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all four counts: Operating While Intoxicated – 5th Offense, Operating with a Prohibited Alcohol Concentration – 5th Offense, Disorderly Conduct, and Obstructing an Officer. Both 5th offense cases are Class G Felonies punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment, but the Court may only impose a single sentence since they arise from the same incident.

The charges stem from an incident where Sauk County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence following reports of a stranger banging on a homeowner’s door and making bizarre and threatening statements. Upon arrival, deputies identified Thompson as the source of the disturbance and determined he had driven to the residence while highly intoxicated. Forensic testing later revealed Thompson had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.223. Under Wisconsin law, because Thompson had more than three prior OWI offenses, his legal limit was restricted to 0.02. Consequently, Thompson had driven at more than 11 times his legal limit when he was apprehended.

While Thompson has six total OWI-related incidents on his record, this case was necessarily prosecuted as a 5th Offense. This classification is due to a recent change in Wisconsin case law which rendered his prior “implied consent” violation no longer countable as a conviction for criminal charging purposes.

Michael Thompson’s bail was revoked, and he was remanded to the custody of the Sauk County jail. Sentencing is scheduled for February 27.

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