DARLINGTON - A Barneveld man charged with his 10th drunk-driving offense appeared in court Friday for a preliminary hearing.
Ricardo Ortiz-Diaz, 56, faces charges of 10th-offense driving while intoxicated and 10th-offense driving with a prohibited blood alcohol content, both Class F felonies, and a misdemeanor count of driving with a revoked license.
Although Ortiz-Diaz's attorney, Micabil Diaz-Martinez, argued that there was no probable cause to bind the case over for trial, judge Duane M. Jorgenson ultimately determined that there was probable cause to continue the case.
Ortiz-Diaz's charges stem from an incident on Dec. 22, after a suspicious vehicle was discovered parked on Wisconsin 81 in Argyle. When officers approached the vehicle, it left the roadway briefly before returning.
After police pulled the vehicle over, they discovered Ortiz-Diaz behind the wheel and said he was noticeably intoxicated. He was arrested without resistance.
Ortiz-Diaz's previous nine drunk driving offenses occurred between December 1990 and September 2010. After his last offense, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Ortiz-Diaz's next court appearance will be for an arraignment hearing on March 17. The maximum possible sentence for his charges is 7.5 years in prison.
Ricardo Ortiz-Diaz, 56, faces charges of 10th-offense driving while intoxicated and 10th-offense driving with a prohibited blood alcohol content, both Class F felonies, and a misdemeanor count of driving with a revoked license.
Although Ortiz-Diaz's attorney, Micabil Diaz-Martinez, argued that there was no probable cause to bind the case over for trial, judge Duane M. Jorgenson ultimately determined that there was probable cause to continue the case.
Ortiz-Diaz's charges stem from an incident on Dec. 22, after a suspicious vehicle was discovered parked on Wisconsin 81 in Argyle. When officers approached the vehicle, it left the roadway briefly before returning.
After police pulled the vehicle over, they discovered Ortiz-Diaz behind the wheel and said he was noticeably intoxicated. He was arrested without resistance.
Ortiz-Diaz's previous nine drunk driving offenses occurred between December 1990 and September 2010. After his last offense, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Ortiz-Diaz's next court appearance will be for an arraignment hearing on March 17. The maximum possible sentence for his charges is 7.5 years in prison.