By Shereen Siewert
A 29-year-old Schofield man pulled over for driving with a revoked license will spend 18 months in prison after being convicted of his fifth drunken driving charge, a felony.
Charges against Cory “Poof” Magnuson were filed in October in Marathon County Circuit Court, one month after he was questioned in a Chicago Avenue driveway by a Wausau Police officer patrolling the area who ran a records check on Magnuson’s vehicle.
The records check showed Magnuson had a revoked license due to a prior OWI conviction, according to court documents. Police say Magnuson, who has an alcohol restriction of 0.02 percent, had an occupational license but was not driving within his specified hours when he was pulled over after drinking at an east-side tavern.
Magnuson underwent field sobriety tests, which police say showed clues of impairment. He refused to submit to a breathalyzer but was taken to a local hospital for a chemical test of his blood.
Police say Magnuson admitted having several alcoholic beverages before getting behind the wheel but was “speechless” that he was being questioned. Court records show Magnuson was out on bond for a misdemeanor charge filed in August of operating with a revoked license when he was arrested.
His most recent prior OWI conviction, his fourth, was in November 2019. In that case, Reserve Judge Thomas Caine ordered a withheld sentence for Magnuson that included three years of probation. Magnuson was under supervision at the time of his arrest, which prompted his probation to be revoked.
During a hearing Jan. 6, Magnuson pleaded guilty to the charge of fifth-offense operating while intoxicated. Charges of driving with a revoked license and bail jumping were dismissed but read into the record at sentencing.
Circuit Judge LaMont Jacobson also ordered Magnuson to spend one year in prison for the 2019 OWI case, but the two prison sentences will be served at the same time.
Magnuson will also spend three years on extended supervision following his eventual release from prison.
