Rep. Jeff Wood charged with 3rd OWI, drug offense
By RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press Writer
MADISON — A Wisconsin lawmaker was formally charged Tuesday with third-offense drunken driving and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The criminal charges filed by the Columbia County District Attorney’s office against Rep. Jeffrey Wood, I-Bloomer, stem from his Dec. 12 arrest by the Wisconsin State Patrol.
District Attorney Jane Kohlwey said her office is still considering whether to add civil charges of public urination and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.
A trooper investigating reports of a drunken driver on Interstate 90 found an intoxicated Wood urinating on the side of the road, according to a criminal complaint. A search of Wood’s vehicle turned up two small bags of marijuana and a pipe. Wood failed a sobriety test and a breath test showed his blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit for driving.
Wood, 39, represents a northwestern Wisconsin district and is the only independent in the Wisconsin Legislature. He had been a member of the Republican Party before switching his affiliation last year. Democrats who won control of the Assembly made him a committee chairman but he gave that post up after his arrest.
Wood has apologized for using poor judgment but has rejected calls to resign. He is expected to make an initial court appearance on the charges Feb. 4. He was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
After initially saying he had no plans to hire an attorney, Wood has retained Madison lawyer Tracey Wood, who has experience defending suspected drunken drivers.
Tracey Wood said Tuesday she had not reviewed the complaint and could not comment on it. She said the lawmaker hired her to make sure he was not treated more harshly than other defendants because of his high-profile job.
The charges come as the Legislature considers measures to get tougher on drunken driving, which is a major public safety problem in beer-loving Wisconsin.
Wood faces between 30 days and one year in jail and the loss of his license for up to three years on the third-offense operating while intoxicated charge. He also may be required to install an ignition interlock device for up to one year when he regains his driving privileges.
Driving records show Wood was convicted of drunken driving on Aug. 27, 1990, and his license was suspended for eight months. After he got his license back, Wood refused to submit to a blood alcohol test on Oct. 26, 1991, in connection with another traffic stop. He was convicted again, and his license was revoked for 18 months.
The possession of marijuana charge carries up to six months behind bars, while the paraphernalia charge could add another 30 days imprisonment, according to the criminal complaint.
Wood has said he was drinking with friends in Madison on a Thursday night before he attempted to make the 200-mile drive home to Bloomer. The patrol received reports of an intoxicated driver weaving on the highway and Wood eventually drove his vehicle off the left side of the road, smashing into a signpost and a snowbank. One witness said Wood’s vehicle went about five feet in the air before returning to the road.
A trooper caught up with Wood about 40 miles north of Madison, where he was urinating and his 1998 Buick Skylark had a flat tire. Wood told the trooper he did not know how he got the flat and “suggested that it happened during parking,’’ the complaint said.
Wood failed a sobriety test, and the trooper smelled marijuana in his vehicle. The trooper confiscated two bags hidden in the center arm rest that had about 4.9 grams of marijuana and an estimated street value of $35.
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