Except In WI, All States Criminalize 1st-Conviction OWI

US Sen. Mike Crapo's, R-Idaho) case in Virginia is a good example.

The Idaho Republican, arrested in December on suspicion of drunken driving in Virginia, pleaded guilty Friday to the charges,which came with a $250 fine and a year-long suspension of his driver's license.

A 180-day jail sentence was suspended on condition of good behavior. 

In Wisconsin, you can even send an attorney and avoid a court appearance altogether in some first-time OWI cases, though deterrent measures proposed by State Rep. Jim Ott, (R-Mequon), and State Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills) would end that practice, toughen others but still leave a gaping hole in the law.

Their proposals only criminalize a first time OWI-conviction if the person arrested is at or above a BAC of 0.15.

0.8 legally indicates intoxicated driving in Wisconsin, so Ott and Darling are going after the 'super-drunks' - - but a 0.15 standard is arbitrary. Why give a pass to a driver testing at 0.14 - - nearly twice the legal limit?

At least they are willing to take on the alcohol lobbies and other business-as-usual defeatists.