Perhaps the greatest threat from an OWI may be the risk that one poses to others. That threat is certainly magnified when the impaired driver is carrying passengers in his or her vehicle. Sadly, those passengers are often children. If one is arrested for suspicion of OWI in Waukesha while having children in the car, there’s a strong possibility that he or she may also face charges beyond OWI, such as child endangerment. The cumulative penalties of these charges could result in an extended prison sentence if one is convicted.
A Briggsville man could potentially face such a myriad of charges after he was arrested Waupaca County for driving under the influence while having two children in the car with him. Police did not disclose his relationship to the children, who were released to a family member at the scene. While police initially stopped the man for not obeying traffic rules, drug paraphernalia was found in the vehicle. After failing a sobriety test, the man was arrested for OWI. It’s not known at this time whether he will face charges beyond operating the influence.
While a charge for an OWI offense may only end up being a misdemeanor, charges accompanying it such as child endangerment could be considered felonies, which carry much harsher penalties. Such a scenario could also result in other unintended consequences, such as state officials being asked to investigate the safety and well-being of the children involved. When faced with this potential scenario, one may wish to improve his or her chances to secure an acceptable outcome from the court by hiring an experienced OWI attorney.
Source: MyFox Wausau “Man arrested in Waupaca for OWI with children in vehicle” Dan Griffin, August 31, 2013