A sentencing hearing is scheduled in Burnett County Circuit Court on Felony Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) 5th Offense charges against Michael Belisle.
According to a criminal complaint, Belisle, with last known address in Shell Lake, WI, was charged with this OWI offense after a June 2013 traffic stop in Burnett County. The criminal complaint states that an officer for the St. Croix Tribal Police Department came upon a truck stopped with the engine still running in the middle of the traffic lane on Angeline Avenue in LaFollette Township.
When the officer approached the truck, he saw 3 individuals apparently 'passed out' in the front seat.
The officer opened the door and turned off the truck's engine. After announcing his presence as a police officer several times, the two passengers in the truck did wake up. These two people identified the driver as Michael Belisle.
The complaint continues stating that the officer had to shake Belisle's shoulder many times before Belisle was able to wake up enough to communicate with the officer. An open container holding a clear liquid with a lime wedge floating in it was in the center console of the truck.
Belisle did get out of the truck at the officer's request and had to use the truck to help himself balance, ultimately leaning his forehead against the tailgate of the truck. According to the criminal complaint, when the officer asked how much Belisle had to drink Belisle responded: “way too much”.
When the officer asked Belisle how he ended up in that particular roadway, Belisle replied that he did not know. The officer asked if he might have driven there since he was found sitting behind the steering wheel and the truck was still running, and Belisle told the officer that is probably what happened.
Belisle refused to take any field sobriety tests or give a preliminary breath test. He also refused to consent to an evidentiary blood draw. The officer took Belisle into custody at that point and contacted a Burnett County Circuit Court Judge to get a warrant approved to obtain a sample of Belisle's blood, states the criminal complaint.
The two passengers in the truck were given a courtesy ride home by another officer.
Charges of Felony 5th Offense OWI and Misdemeanor Operating after Revocation were filed on June 25, 2013. According to public record, a 3rd charge of Operating a Motor Vehicle with a Prohibited Blood Alcohol Concentration was filed on September 10, 2013.
Public record shows that Belisle's case was first scheduled for a jury trial in December of 2014, a second time in May 2015, a third time in October 2016, and for a fourth time in February of 2017.
It is not known why these jury trials were not held, but Belisle is now scheduled to be sentenced on his charges on March 23, 2017. If convicted as charged, Belisle could face a maximum of six years in prison for the 5th offense OWI and a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
(Michael Belisle - Credit: BCSO)
DrydenWire.com reminds our readers that individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until convicted by a judge or jury.
Last Update: Mar 17, 2017 10:22 am CDT
