Wis. Court: DWI Laws Apply To Driving On Lakes, Too
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state appeals court says Wisconsin's drunken driving laws apply on frozen lakes.
The case arises from an incident on Lake Winnebago in January 2011. Sheriff's deputies discovered Todd Anderson of Oshkosh behind the wheel of a sports utility vehicle on the ice. According to the appeals court ruling, his blood alcohol percentage was 0.365 percent.
Prosecutors charged Anderson with drunken driving. A judge dismissed the case, though, ruling Wisconsin's drunken driving laws apply to premises open to public motor vehicle use and the lake didn't qualify.
The 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday the term "premises" doesn't have a fixed meaning and can include lakes.
According to the ruling, Anderson represented himself on appeal. A message left at a listing for him wasn't immediately returned.
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