Ismael Ozanne: Second Wisconsin Attorney General Candidate to Admit to a Drinking Offense

By Kyle Maichle, Editor of Wisconsin Election Watch,

MADISON – Days after Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel (R-Waukesha) admitted he was cited for drunken driving nearly twenty-five years ago, another candidate for Attorney General came forward of a past citation for a drinking-related offense.

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne (D-Madison) admitted to a violation of the state’s absolute sobriety law on Thursday evening in a written statement issued by his campaign.  Ozanne, who is challenging Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee) for the Democratic nomination, said he was cited for violating the absolute sobriety law in 1986.   The citation came after a car accident near the University of Wisconsin-Arboretum in Madison.

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According to the Ozanne Campaign, a Breathalyzer test found that Ozanne had a blood alcohol level of .04 which was below the legal limit of .10 at the time of the offense.  He was given a citation.  Also known as the “Not a Drop Law”, Wisconsin bans any alcohol consumption by any individual under the legal drinking age while operating a motor vehicle.  Currently, anyone who is found guilty of the “Not a Drop Law” faces a fine of $389.50, a 90 day license suspension, and four demerit points.

Ozanne said: “This was a mistake I made as a teenager and I learned a valuable lesson.  I took responsibility for my actions and I knew, even then, how fortunate it was that no one was physically injured. Now, 28 years later, I look back on that incident and, as a father and as a prosecutor, I am reminded that we must be vigilant about teaching our kids to make good decisions when they get behind the wheel.”

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In 1986, the Wisconsin Legislature approved increasing the minimum drinking age from 19 to 21 after the federal government threatened to take away funding for roads.  It was not until 2003 when Wisconsin lowered the maximum blood alcohol content for drunk driving offenses from .10 to .08.

In a written statement, Jon Richards said: “Teenage mistakes that took place decades ago are irrelevant to the issue of whether or not one is fit for the job of Attorney General today. We have to focus on what’s important to move our state forward and make our roads safer.”

Wisconsin Election Watch contacted Ozanne Campaign Spokeswoman Melissa Mulliken for comment.  Ms. Mulliken did not return our phone calls at the time of publication.

Editor's Note: Our article can be found at-http://wisconsinelectionwatch.com/12946/ismael-ozanne-second-wisconsin-attorney-general-candidate-ad...