A Danbury, WI man plead guilty to charges of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) 4th Offense at a recent hearing in Burnett County Circuit Court and the Court ordered a withheld sentence, probation and conditional jail time.
DrydenWire.com reported in January 2018 that Richard Connors of Danbury, WI was scheduled to have a jury trial in Burnett County Circuit Court regarding his charge of OWI 4th Offense. Connors charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in June 2015 when the vehicle he was driving was stopped for having only 1 working headlight. Officers at the scene noted a strong odor of intoxicant and attempted to conduct field sobriety tests with Connors, however, he was unable to successfully complete those tests.
The results of a toxicology test on Connors’ blood indicated the presence of methamphetamine in his system.
According to online circuit court records, Connors was ordered to serve 60 days of conditional jail time with credit for 16 days previously served, followed by 1 year of probation. Conditions of Connors’ probation require him to complete an Intoxicated Driver Intervention Program, Maintain Absolute Sobriety, and pay nearly $2,000 in costs in addition to $600 in restitution.
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Jury Trial Scheduled for Burnett County Man Charged with 4th OWI
Thursday, January 18, 2018 | DrydenWire
A Danbury man is headed to a Burnett County Circuit Court jury trial in June on OWI-4th charges dating back to an arrest nearly three years ago.
Richard Connors, 36, was charged in 2015 with OWI (4th) and also Operating With Restricted Substance In Blood (4th).
According to the criminal complaint, at about 11:30p on June 25, 2015, a Burnett County Sheriff’s Deputy observed a vehicle turn onto Highway 77 with only one working headlight.
Upon stopping the vehicle and communicating with the driver, the officer’s report states Connors’ speech was slurred and his movements slow. The report says Connors failed at several attempts to find his drivers license in his wallet, although the officer could see the license.
The officer observed Connors was wearing a flashlight strapped to his head. Connors told the officer he was moving and need the flashlight to see. The officer also observed an open beer can on the vehicle’s floor and a strong odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle. A second officer summoned to the scene performed the standard field sobriety test, which Connors allegedly failed. Connors was transported to Burnett Medical Center in Grantsburg for a blood draw, which he initially refused but later consented to. Results of a toxicology report regarding Conner’s blood draw indicated the presence of methamphetamine in his system.
Since the 2015 arrest, the case has seen a long series of hearings and three attorney changes.
Connors was first appointed a public defender on July 31, 2015. He requested and received a different public defender in 2016 and as of September 2017 has a third new attorney handling the case.
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the court set the final status conference for March 14, the final pre-trial conference on May 7, and a 12-person Jury trial on June 5.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: May 10, 2018 10:47 am CDT
