Investment Firm CEO Tries to Talk His Way Out of OWI Ticket

The president and CEO of a major Milwaukee investment banking firm was arrested Thursday in Wauwatosa on suspicion of drunken driving, and during and after the stop he appeared to make a number of attempts to use his position to get out of the ticket, police reports show.

John Druse Emory Jr., 41, of Whitefish Bay, was arrested at 10:51 p.m. and cited for suspicion of operating while intoxicated after callers reported him driving dangerously, having hit curbs twice and sideswiped a “yield to pedestrians” sign on West North Avenue.

An officer rendezvoused with a witness, who pointed out a white SUV stopped at North 81st Street and West North Avenue. The officer followed to observe the driver’s behavior and watched as Emory weaved and drifted in traffic going east on North Avenue.

At Wauwatosa Avenue, when Emory hit a lane divider and then rolled through the right turn stop sign, the officer pulled him over.

The officer said he asked Emory if he'd had anything to drink that evening, and he answered "No." When the officer told him he was getting a very strong odor of intoxicants from him and the car, Emory said, "Wait, what was that again?"

Emory then said he'd had just one drink — a beer — at a bar in Brookfield, but when asked if he knew where he was, he replied that he was “close to Wilshire (Rd.)”

In what city? “Whitefish Bay,” he replied.

Emory had difficulty understanding and performing field sobriety tests, needing instructions repeated five times for one test. At one point he halted a test and asked if he were under arrest. Told that he was not at that time, Emory, the officer said, chuckled and said, "All right. Well, then I guess I'm leaving."

The officer informed Emory he was not free to go until the tests were complete, prompting Emory to again ask if were under arrest, and say, "So, can I leave if I'm not under arrest?"

The officer again explained that Emory was not free to go and asked whether he was willing to complete the tests.

"If you were me, what would you do?" Emory asked. Told by the officer he couldn't advise him, he said, "You can't give me any advice?" No, said the officer, and again asked if he were willing to perform the tests. "I... I... no. I don't know what to say," said Emory.

Based on that, the officer arrested Emory, handcuffing him and putting him in his squad car. On the way to the station, Emory said, "Do you care? Uh... maybe, I was wondering, uh, I'm the president and CEO of Emory and Co. LLC, which is a... pretty substantial company in southeastern Wisconsin."

The officer said he acknowledged the information, and Emory muttered under his breath, "You'll find out later." As the trip continued, the officer said, Emory repeated his status with Emory and Co., and said again, more loudly, “You’ll find out later!”

Asked what that meant, Emory said, "It doesn't mean anything."

Emory registered a 0.20 blood alcohol concentration on a breath test, 2½ times the proscribed limit to drive in Wisconsin. He told officers he understood his rights and was not willing to answer questions.

After his booking, Emory said that he was hosting a lunch in the coming week for his good friend, County Executive Chris Abele, and would “mention your good work.”

Then Emory laughed and said the whole incident was "funny" to him. Then he asked, "So, is there any, uh... leniency on these documents or anything?" – referring to his paperwork. Asked regarding what, he said, "Regarding anything about them."

The officer said he didn't know what exactly he was being asked.

"I'm just asking you, is this all pretty much final?"

Told his paperwork would not change at that point, Emory said, "That is what I'm asking you."

Emory was issued citations for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, operating with a prohibited blood alcohol concentration and operating left of center, and he was given a mandatory court date on Feb. 4.

Reached Wednesday afternoon, Emory said he did not wish to comment on his arrest.