Crime & Safety
Dad Faces Third OWI for Drinking, Then Driving Kids Home
Man was coming home from a family reunion when a Wauwatosa police officer stopped him for speeding, but he had been drinking and had his minor children in the car.
A 38-year-old Milwaukee man is facing charges after he was caught allegedly driving drunk through Wauwatosa with two of his children in the car.
James T. Clark Jr. was charged Thursday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one count of third-offense operating while intoxicated, with a minor in the vehicle. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison and $4,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
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At 8:59 p.m. Aug. 18, a Wauwatosa police officer spotted Clark driving eastbound in the 7100 block of West Bluemound Road and doing 41 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour speed zone. The officer pulled Clark over and saw that there were two children, ages 12 and 15, inside the car.
Driving while intoxicated with minor children aboard is a penalty enhancer in Wisconsin.
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Clark first said he hadn’t been drinking, but then said he was coming from a family reunion where he drank three beers. He probably underestimated his consumption. He failed field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of 0.158, about twice the proscribed limit to drive in Wisconsin.
Clark was previously convicted of OWI in 1999 and 2009. He’s currently free on a $1,000 signature bond while awaiting trial.
