OWI Reduced to Reckless Driving
A Madison police officer stopped our client for speeding late one evening. Upon contact with the client, the officer suspected he was impaired because the client handed the officer a credit card, rather than his driver's license. The officer also smelled an odor of intoxicants, and the client admitted to consuming alcohol. The officer put our client through field sobriety tests. Although the client performed well, the officer had enough evidence to arrest him for OWI. The prosecution initially offered the client a settlement agreement to dismiss the speeding citation if the client entered a guilty plea to the OWI charge. Attorney Tim Verhoff reviewed the reports and the video evidence. He met with the prosecution, and pointed out all of the problems he believed the city attorney would have in proving the OWI case. Prior to trial, the prosecutor made a new offer. This time, the city attorney agreed to dismiss the speeding ticket and reduce the OWI to a charge of reckless driving, provided the client agreed to a 30-day license suspension. Wanting to avoid a possible OWI conviction, the client gladly accepted the offer.