(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A 38-year-old Pleasant Prairie man once again avoided jail time after being convicted of his third drunk driving offense, continuing what many see as a troubling pattern of leniency in repeat OWI cases before Judge Jason Rossell.
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
Michael A. Pettry pleaded guilty Thursday to third-offense operating while intoxicated stemming from a June 16, 2023, traffic stop in the Village of Salem Lakes. According to the criminal complaint, a Kenosha County sheriff’s deputy saw Pettry’s Nissan Altima swerving across Highway 50 before pulling him over. Pettry admitted to drinking two Budweisers while fishing earlier in the day. A preliminary breath test registered 0.10% blood alcohol content.
During field sobriety tests, deputies noted slurred speech and several balance errors. Records showed Pettry had prior OWI convictions in Illinois (2012) and Racine County (2015). He was also out on bond in a separate disorderly conduct case at the time, violating a court order not to commit new crimes.
Under a plea agreement approved by the District Attorney’s Office, three additional cases — 23CM261, 23CM1922, and two related traffic matters — were dismissed or reopened and dismissed. In the OWI case, Pettry received 50 days of Huber release, meaning he may leave jail for work, school, or child care, but otherwise remain in custody. He received credit for six days served and was ordered to pay roughly $500 in fines and court costs, complete an alcohol assessment, submit a DNA sample, and install an ignition interlock device for 24 months. His driver’s license was revoked for the same duration.
Pettry was taken into custody from court to begin serving his Huber sentence.
The maximum penalty for third-offense OWI in Wisconsin is one year in jail and a $2,000 fine. Critics argue that repeated leniency for serial drunk drivers like Pettry helps explain why Kenosha County continues to see fourth, fifth, and even sixth offense OWI arrests.
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16 Responses
No one really expects him to “install an ignition interlock device for 24 months” or avoid driving on a revoked license, do we? He will probably drive from work to jail every day.
We will have to wait until he kills someone.
Kenosha County had the chance to create a special OWI court for repeat offenders. Judge Milisauskas and the drug court team were sent to Madison for special training but it never got off the ground because the county was unwilling to fund monitoring and random sobriety testing. Kenosha County’s substance abuse and mental health programs are hardly the envy of the state.
The state needs to step up.
Kenosha County had the chance to create a special intensive OWI court for repeat offenders. Judge Milisauskas and the entire drug court team were sent to Madison for special training but it never got off the ground because the county was unwilling to fund monitoring and random sobriety testing. Kenosha County’s substance abuse and mental health programs are hardly the envy of the state.
why and how does this work , i thought state law should be applied in these cases, how does it not ?
The sentence is within the state law and each judicial district is required to have guidelines for OWI sentencing.
This judge needs to be removed from the bench. What a disgrace.
Suppose this judge had grandchildren or a
Child that was hit by a drunk driver????? hmmmm?
[email protected]
Thanks for remembering to hold judges in higher esteem
Yeah, whatever!
The assessment portion of your OUI is a joke. Your already labeled an addict in their eyes, at last I knew it was $350 to make an appointment at Hope Council, for a short form of questions for someone who probably just binge drank to label you an alcoholic. Not everyone is one if they have the unfortunate luck to get a OUI. They need to truly help these people figure out what makes them do this instead of setting them on their way to reoffend later down the road. In my eyes it is a money grab, because when all is said and done this place alone is easily $1000 or more depending on what they determine your punishment to be.
This leniency is typical in Republican states.
If you have to sleep in jail you are in jail.
Jail is where you spend ever waking and sleeping hour when you are on Huber work release.
KCE does not consider a sentence with work release to be jail.
KCE wants otherwise good citizens to lose their jobs and homes and for their kids to go hungry because of OWIs.
Agree to disagree.
Most people on work release get EM. Meaning house arrest. Would you chose jail or work release ?
He looks retarded.