(Wisconsin Attorney General) Lautenschlager arrested for DUI

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ^ | Feb. 24, 2004 | STEVEN WALTERS

[mafree]

Madison - State Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said today that she was arrested for drunken driving in Dodge County while returning to her Fond du Lac home from the Capitol on Monday.

Lautenschlager, 48, said in a statement that she had made a "terrible mistake" and added: "While driving home, I fell asleep and drove off the road, and was subsequently cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated."

In her statement, she promised to "accept the consequences of and will take responsibility for my actions."

According to the Dodge County sheriff's report on the arrest, Lautenschlager refused to take a test to determine her blood-alcohol level.

She was driving a state-owned car when she was arrested.

Lautenschlager, whose office works closely with local and state police agencies and operates state crime labs, thanked Dodge County officers in her statement "for their professionalism in handling this matter."

She has been released from custody.

A Democrat, she is a former state legislator and U.S. attorney appointed by former President Clinton. She was elected the state's first female attorney general in 2002.

An aide said Lautenschlager was not available for comment today.

Lautenschlager commutes to the Capitol from her Fond du Lac home and usually drives alone to state appearances. As a former federal prosecutor, whose spouse is a retired law enforcement officer, Lautenschlager has received considerable political backing from law officers.

More details of her arrest were not immediately available.

Complete coverage of this story will appear online later today and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the morning.

[Chummy]

..and if one reads "Peg's" "Open Letter to DOJ Employees", what leaps off the screen is that she only says her terrible mistake appears to be driving off the road.

Compare it carefully with what the IR says, the testing the Dodge County officers performed, the professionalism they appear to have displayed in determining "Peg's" condition before placing her under arrest for OWI.

The IR also notes "Peg" requested to contact her lawyer before deciding to submit to an evidentiary chemical test of her blood.

It took this Deputy to inform Wisconsin's Top Cop that she was not entitled to a lawyer at that time because it's "...an implied consent issue."

She still refused.

[From The Deer Stand]

I predict she will resign

Not so fast! Driving while intoxicated is bad but the Rats will protect and excuse her. Now, if it ever was discovered she may have missed a National Guard drill 30 years ago then she'll be toast!

[EODGUY]

You are correct. Wisconsin has a statute called "Implied Consent" which means that by operating a motor vehicle in Wisconsin, you have implicitly given your consent to a breath, blood or urine test if arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants or controlled substances.

She was obviously given a PBT (preliminary breath test, not admissible in court, by the way) at the scene and that's where the blood alcohol level was determined. Refusal to take the test that is offered by the arresting agency is an automatic suspension of your driver's license, but is often pled away for a guilty plea on the DWI charge, unless the law has changed in the last 4 years.

In any event, her refusal to take the test is a mockery of the law she took an oath to enforce. That act, combined with driving while intoxicated in a state owned vehicle would result in the termination of employment of a law enforcement officer upon finding of guilt. It will be very interesting to follow what ensues in this case.

If she was serious about accepting responsibility, she would have followed the law and taken the test.


Also, the forceful retrieval of blood for testing purposes is, as you stated, usually reserved for circumstances where death or great bodily injury occurred or when the arrestee has had several previous DWI convictions.

[Chummy]

Dontcha just love irony?

"Ripple." The passenger's name is Ripple.

May as well have been Jack Daniels.

[MediaMole]

OWI?

Operation while intoxicated. (or technically "operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant")

[blackdog]

Now if this ditch had been filled with enough water, she could have left the car, gone missing for two days while she sobered up and got her story straight, and left the occupant to drown or die of hypothermia.

But that would mean a US senate bid was in the cards.

[MediaMole]

Who was the second occupant, William Ripple?

Her husband, a police officer. William Rippl.

No self-respecting female democratic office holder is going to take her husband's name.

[Chummy]

Chappa-who-what?

Ahh, but then of course this is Wisconsin, where water gets pretty hard about this time each year.

[Protagoras]

Every state thinks they need a separate name for drunk driving.

[blackdog]

If they issued a DUI to the Attorney General and her cop husband, there is a whole lot more to this.

Professional Courtesy is the rule. Something big went on at that scene in order for her to be charged. Not to mention her cop husband should have taken her car keys. No, he just drove into the ditch wit da bitch?

This is really suspiscious!

[longtermmemmory]

notice how even the headline here on FR does not state "(D)"? We are all being condidtioned without knowing it.

[philetus]

At .6 most people would be in a coma or dead, so I would believe .12, but not 1.2.

[TYVets]

From her web site:

She is married to Bill Rippl, a Neenah Police officer, and has three children and two step-children, one of whom is a Winnebago County Deputy Sheriff,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I am sure we have to wait for Paul Harvey to Hear The Rest Of The Story.

[Revenge of Sith]

"Refusing an alcohol test is an automatic DUI conviction in Wisconsin."

In most states, your license automatically gets revoked for six months or a year. Lawyers recommend that drivers do that if they're guilty so they still have a chance of getting acquitted. Mo Vaughn got his license revoked for a year because he refused a breathalizer test, but the jury found him not guilty of drunk driving.

[spunkets]

"her cop husband should have taken her car keys

Evidently he was plastered too. He probably was responsible for most of the odor coming from the car. The cops had been notified that their was a drunk driver crusing down the road. Some guy saw the AG's car driving erratically and stopped to notify a cop running radar. The cop went to investigate and found the AG's car in the ditch.

[gunnedah]

No problem, lawyers look out for each other. South Carolina Chief Justice hit an automobile and left the scene while drinking. Paid a fine and all is well. Legislature just relected her back to the post.
Only the lower classes does DUI apply. Oh I forgot George Bush had one 30 years ago that still applies.

[steveegg]

Some interesting news ping.

[MediaMole]

Re-reading the police report, I do not think her husband was in the car. The first reference to him in the narrative refers to his signing the Release to Responsible Person form at 1:12am.

If he had been in the car, they would have mentioned that he was a passenger.

[Catspaw]

You're misreading the incident report. On page 1, William Rippl, her hubby, is listed as OTH (other).

[spunkets]

I think your right. He's listed as other on the incident report, but I think it's, because he's part of the incident. The ticket at the bottom, I think has no passenger circled. I can't really make out the word "passenger" though. It looks like there are 3 choices, under 14?, Y and N.