NEW GLARUS — An Argyle man with five drunk driving convictions on his record was arrested again for the same offense July 31 in New Glarus, according to court records.
James M. Frion, 43, signed a $5,000 signature bond Aug. 3 in Green County Circuit Court on a sixth-offense charge of operating while intoxicated, a Class G felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer.
Frion is convicted of OWI offenses from May 1996, Nov. 2001, March 2005, April 2005 and March 2013.
He’s due back in court for a preliminary hearing Aug. 21.
The case stems from a July 31 traffic stop on a Dodge truck on Wisconsin 69 for the driver not wearing a seatbelt, according to police reports from New Glarus Police Lt. Jeff Sturdevant.
“As I was still making my approach, the driver (Frion) opened his door and appeared he was going to exit his vehicle, which is not a normal reaction from people that are being stopped by the police,” Sturdevant wrote.
Frion had slurred speech, glassy eyes and an unsteady stance, Sturdevant noted. When Sturdevant went back to his squad car to look up Frion’s license, Frion fled on foot and was “weaving back and forth while he was running.”
After about 400 feet, Frion stopped at Sturdevant’s order, got on his knees and was handcuffed. He was “gasping for air after running” and smelled strongly of alcohol.
When Sturdevant asked Frion how many prior OWI convictions he had, Frion responded, “Too many” and said he ran “because cops scare him.” He was cooperative for the rest of his arrest.
Sturdevant asked another officer to get a chair from a nearby motel for Frion to sit in while they finished up the investigation “as he appeared to not be able to maintain his balance.” Police found an open tallboy of Busch Light in the backseat of Frion’s truck.
Frion declined to do field sobriety tests or a preliminary breath test. His blood was taken at Monroe Clinic but the results of that test are not included with the criminal complaint.
Sturdevant reported that during the drive to the hospital, Frion asked where he was arrested, asked what county New Glarus is in and “kept saying he wanted to just go to bed.”