Wisconsin man faces 10th drunken driving charge, after trooper sees beer on console

OCONTO, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man is facing his 10th drunken driving charge.

Douglas Kluth of Green Bay was arrested early Wednesday in Oconto County.

Officials say the State Patrol was helping with traffic when the 66-year-old Kluth parked his vehicle and approached a trooper. The trooper saw the beer on the console.

The complaint says Kluth had a valid driver’s license. He was charged with operating while intoxicated, 10th or more offense.

Kluth’s preliminary breath test, while not admissible in court, came back at .134 – more than six times the limit of .02 imposed on Kluth due to his prior convictions, according to the complaint.

Bond was set at $25,000 cash Wednesday, according to WLUK-TV. If convicted, Kluth faces up to 15 years in prison.

Wisconsin is the only state that treats a first-time drunken driving offense as a civil violation , not a crime. New Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has said he’s open to criminalizing first offenses.