Kevin Tegtmeier, 60, from West Fargo was arrested on his 14th DUI on July 16, 2012.
The police report states that Tegtmeier failed to stop after a police officer signaled him on the 100 block of Fairgrounds Road after noticing the fictitious license plates on Tegtmeier’s car.
The officer stated in his report that he could smell the odor of alcohol coming from inside the car and asked Tegtmeier to take a field sobriety test in which he had difficulty maintaining his balance. A breath test then revealed that Tegtmeier had a blood alcohol content of .251, which is over three times the legal limit.
Assistant Cass County State Attorney Cherie Clark stated during Tegtmeier’s Monday arraignment that he was a menace to society. She stated the only way to truly stop him is to keep him in custody or the 24/7 program that requires those with prior DUI arrests to submit to twice-per-day alcohol testing. In addition, it was proposed that bail be set at $10,000 cash in addition to the 24/7 program if Tegtmeier would make bail and be released.
Judge Wade Webb decided to set Tegtmeier’s bail at $15,000 due to the prior offenses and agreed to the 24/7 program. This is the highest bail that Judge Webb has ever set on a DUI offense.
Tegtmeiers charges include one county felony DUI with a subsequent offense. This is a Class C felony that carries a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison. North Dakota law differs from the Minnesota law in that a DUI becomes a felony if there has been five offenses within a seven year period as opposed to Minnesota’s four within ten years.
A search of both Minnesota and North Dakota court records shows that Tegtmeier has been convicted of DUI in Clay and Cass counties in North Dakota and Stevens, Anoka, and Clearwater in Minnesota.
Tegtmeier was also charged with several offenses of driving under suspension in North Dakota since 2006. As for his DUI arrests, they stem back to 1987 when he was convicted in Clay County of driving with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit. By 1989, he had 3 DUI convictions.
In March, a warrant was issued for Tegtmeier’s arrest in Clay County after he failed to appear in court in response to driving without insurance in December, driving without a license, and driving without insurance. All of these offenses are misdemeanors.
