A 21-year-old Woodbury, Minnesota man is facing felony drunk driving charges after he was pulled over shortly after 2:00 in the morning on March 16. Woodbury Police claim that an officer watched a car leave from the area near a saloon and cross into a parking lot outside a fitness center in Woodbury. The officer claims that the driver of the car did some “doughnuts” in the fitness center’s parking lot.
Law enforcement says that the car left the parking area and the driver failed to use a turn signal while turning onto Radio Drive. Police conducted a traffic stop and claim that a 21-year-old Woodbury man was behind the wheel. Police say that the driver has three previous driving while impaired convictions–one entered in 2009 and two recorded in 2011.
Police apparently expanded the traffic stop to investigate for an alleged DWI offense. Ultimately, police assert that the driver blew 0.17 percent in an evidentiary DWI breath test.
Minnesota law provides harsh criminal and civil consequences for drivers accused of repeat DWI offense. The law has various parts, which are referred to as aggravating factors that can be used to enhance a new DWI charge based upon prior qualified alcohol related incidents. A prior DWI license revocation or prior DWI conviction within ten years of a current charge can enhance the new charge to a higher level of offense.
Authorities say that the Woodbury man has three prior convictions of DWI within that ten-year time-frame and have charged the man with felony DWI. A conviction of the charge could bring a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. In addition, administrative penalties may be imposed after a DWI arrest, including a license revocation and, in some cases, vehicle forfeiture.
The administrative issues are handled separately from the criminal case, and a person facing the civil penalties must affirmatively act in order to raise a challenge. The time frame to raise a challenge is a matter of weeks and if not properly raised before time runs out, the challenge is generally lost, even if a conviction is not entered in the criminal case.
Source: Woodbury Patch, “Three-Time DWI Offender Busted After Doing Doughnuts in Woodbury Parking Lot,” Kris Janisch, March 25, 2013