Man caught passed out pleads not guilty

By Jacob Mathias

Contributor

WISCONSIN RAPDIS — A Marshfield man pleaded not guilty at the Wood County Courthouse on Tuesday to multiple repeat charges after police found him passed out or sleeping in his car and in possession of marijuana.

Shortly after midnight on May 4, police investigated a parked car. The car was running, parked across two spaces in a parking lot and playing very loud music. Inside the car police found 27-year-old Ryan Rottscheit asleep or passed out at the wheel.

Officers attempted to wake Rottscheit. When he woke, police indicated he had a strong odor of intoxicants and had bloodshot, glossy eyes.

When asked if he had been drinking, Rottscheit told officers he had, had “like two.”

Field sobriety tests were attempted, but police said Rottscheit had a difficult time listening and had to have the test procedures explained multiple times. He eventually refused the tests.

Rottscheit was arrested, and his car was searched, revealing a bag of marijuana and a pipe used for smoking it.

He was then taken to Saint Joseph’s Hospital for a blood test, which indicated a blood alcohol level of .205.

Rottscheit is charged with his second offense for possession of THC, the first being in 2007, which resulted in two years of probation. He is also charged with second offense operating while under the influence (OWI), second offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration (PAC), and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The THC charge is a class I felony, which harbors a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both. The OWI and PAC are both misdemeanors with sentences of five days to six months in jail, a $350 to $1,100 fine, or both.

Rottscheit returns to court for a pre-trial conference on Aug. 14.