Police officers in Dodge County cited Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager for drunk driving late Monday night.
Lautenschlager, Wisconsin's top law enforcement official, was found in her car, which she had driven into a ditch along Highway 151, at approximately 11:45 p.m., Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls said.
According to Nehls, a Columbus police officer spotted three cars driving along the highway at approximately 11:40 p.m. The officer activated his radar and discovered the lead car, driven by Lautenschlager, was traveling at 30 mph, 35 mph below the speed limit.
Nehls reported as Lautenschlager's Buick approached the Columbus officer, the car slowed down even more, nearly coming to a complete stop.
Nehls said shortly thereafter, one of the two cars behind Lautenschlager pulled over and its occupant approached the Columbus officer. According to Nehls, the woman indicated to the officer Lautenschlager's car had been swerving and something needed to be done.
At this point, the Columbus officer attempted to catch Lautenschlager, and did so when Lautenschlager ran her car into a ditch near state Highway 73 in Dodge County.
Lautenschlager then refused to have a blood test performed, a refusal that could lead to a harsher punishment, Nehls said.
\When you sign for a driver's license in Wisconsin, there's something called 'implied consent,'"" Nehls said.
Implied consent is an agreement that, when asked, a driver will consent to an evidentiary test of blood, breath or urine.
""You're still asked if you're willing to submit after you're arrested,"" Nehls said. ""[Lautenschlager] refused.""
The officer conducted a preliminary breath test on Lautenschlager and found her to have .12 blood-alcohol content. The legal limit for operating a vehicle in Wisconsin is .08 BAC. This result cannot, however, be used in court because it was a preliminary, non-certified test.
""[The preliminary test] is just another tool law enforcement uses to try to get an indication of intoxication,"" Nehls said.
Gov. Jim Doyle's spokesman Dan Listikow had little to say about the incident.
""This is a legal matter,"" he said. ""It's something the attorney general will have to work out with the authorities in Dodge County.""
If convicted for refusing to submit to an evidentiary blood test, Lautenschlager could face a license revocation for several months, fines and/or a mandatory alcohol assessment.
