A Minnesota State trooper was arrested at work in late September on suspicion of driving while impaired. Many DWI stories reported in the media begin with details surrounding some kind of traffic stop. Minor alleged infractions on the road generally precede the traffic stop in media reports. The story of the state trooper begins inside a building.
Law enforcement claims that the trooper showed up for a training session in Duluth September 26. The Two Harbors, Minnesota resident is accused of driving from home to Duluth for training. When he arrived inside, a supervisor claims that he could smell alcohol on the state trooper.
Apparently, officers asked the trooper to perform field sobriety tests at the Minnesota State Patrol district office in Duluth. Dissatisfied with the trooper’s performance, the supervisor arrested the trooper and took him down to the St. Louis County Jail for a breath test. The state patrol says that the trooper registered a 0.08 percent alcohol level on the breath test machine, equal to the legal limit in Minnesota for driving a motor vehicle.
The trooper reportedly has been charged with fourth-degree DWI, a misdemeanor offense. The State Patrol reportedly placed the man accused of drunk driving on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into the DWI allegations.
The in-service training session reportedly was scheduled for shortly after 8:00 in the morning.
People from all walks of life can find themselves facing Minnesota drunk driving charges. It is not clear in media reports about the state trooper what allegedly transpired before his arrival at the district office. Officials claim that the man had driven from his home north of Duluth to the training session.
Some of the thousands of DWI arrests across Minnesota each year may come during the morning commute. Allegations of impairment, however, remain just allegations once a citation or complaint is filed with the court. Defendants facing a DWI charge have the right to challenge the prosecutor’s case in court.
Sources:
- St. Paul Pioneer Press, “Two Harbors State Trooper arrested for DWI,” Joseph Lindberg, Sept. 27, 2012
- My Fox 9 Twin Cities, “Minnesota trooper arrested for DUI at morning training,” Sept. 27, 2012
- Our firm provides criminal defense for people accused of drunk driving offenses in Minnesota. For more information about the firm, please visit the DWI defenses page.
