Wausau Pilot & Review
A man found sleeping behind the wheel of an SUV parked in the middle of the road will avoid prison time if he successfully completes OWI Treatment Court programming in Wausau.
Trevor Thompson, now 47, was arrested in April 2019 on his sixth drunken driving charge. The case has only now concluded with a sentencing hearing Oct. 30, 2023 in Marathon County Circuit Court.
Deputies arrested Thompson after being called to an area near County Hwy. Q and Junction Road in the Town of Easton for a report of a vehicle parked in the middle of the road. A concerned motorist called in the report after failing to rouse Thompson, according to the police report.
Just before a deputy attempted to break a back window to gain entry into the vehicle Thompson woke, the complaint states. Police say Thompson was making his way from a tavern on Hwy. 52 and thought he was still in the parking lot when he woke up.
After allegedly failing field sobriety tests, Thompson submitted a breath test that registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.14 percent, the complaint states. The legal limit for driving in Wisconsin is 0.08 percent, and Thompson is subject to a 0.02 limit due to his five prior convictions.
Circuit Judge Scott Corbett on Monday ordered a sentence of 44 months in the Wisconsin Prison System, but that sentence is stayed to allow for Thompson’s participation in OWI court. Thompson will pay a fine of about $3,500 and spend six months of conditional jail time, while undergoing treatment and counseling and complying with a driver safety plan.
The Marathon County OWI Court serves Marathon County residents with felony 4th-6th convictions who suffer from alcohol dependence issues. Mental health issues are also addressed. The program serves up to 25 participants at any given time and takes about 18 months to complete. Participants plead guilty and agree to participate in the program while on probation. Program completion is a condition of probation and the program is in lieu of prison.
