Drunk Driver

Drunk driving seems to be a pretty big problem in this state. I hear on the news, a lot more frequently than I should, that someone was arrested for the 4th, 5th, or 6th time. How about this guy? Man gets prison for 10th drunken driving offense 10? TEN??

A confessed alcoholic has received the maximum penalty after his 10th conviction of operating while intoxicated. Thomas Tessar, 40, of West Bend, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison followed by three years of extended supervision.

There's a pattern here! He's only getting 3 years behind bars, after TEN offenses? Ok, yes, he'll also get 3 years of supervision. Big whoop!

"People who get this conviction are in a class by themselves because it's rare," Mortier said. "It demonstrates a person unable to control themselves."

You'd think that after 3 offenses, someone would notice this guy was "unable to control" himself. It's a bloomin' miracle he didn't kill someone.

Public Defender Margaret Vinz listed positives in Tessar's life. He has a clean record, except for traffic violations, and steady employment, she said.

A clean record except for those pesky traffic violations. Golly gee! No ma'am, I don't call that a clean record at all! I call that person quite dangerous, with a serious problem that puts everyone around him in danger.

"This is an offender struggling mightily with an addiction problem," Mortier said, mentioning Tessar's prior incarcerations and treatment programs, both while in prison and as an outpatient.

When did he have time to have a child if he was in and out of the pokey so much?

"He still relapsed, even in the best of scenarios," Grimm said, adding that Tessar is behind in child support payments by almost $70,000.

He has steady employment, but can't keep up with his child support to the tune of 70 grand. Perhaps he should think about his child before he has that first drink! I have sympathy for anyone with an addiction, been there, done that. But I also know that until someone admits they have a problem, no amount of piddly jail time or treatment is going to help. And NO ONE should be driving drunk! This man should not have been behind a wheel of a car after his second conviction, much less given the opportunity to rack up 10 offenses.