Area man arrested for 18th DWI

By DAWN SLADE
Mille Lacs County Times
Posted 6/26/03

Douglas Rodney Sam, 36, was arrested Thursday, June 19 by Mille Lacs Tribal Police for his 18th DWI.

Officers were looking for Sam as there was an active warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in court.

Sam, whose reported address is Milaca, was located by police driving on Virgo Road (near the reservation). The report stated that when he exited the vehicle, Sam was staggering toward the police officers.

With an odor of alcohol on his breath and slurred speech, officers asked how much he had to drink. According to the complaint, Sam replied, ³Enough.²

He refused to take field sobriety tests and when transported back to the police department, he again refused to take a breath or blood test.

Refusal to take the breath or blood test once at the police station is a crime.

Officerıs learned from Samıs driving record that his driving privileges had already been canceled.

Since 1985, Sam has had 17 convictions or revocations for DWI, seven of those have been within the past 10 years.

In February, he was arrested for malicious punishment of a child and domestic assault. This was the charge that he failed to appear in court for, creating the warrant for his arrest.

He was also arrested on May 18, 2003 for driving without a valid license.

Sam has been charged by Mille Lacs County District Court with first degree test refusal and first degree driving while impaired. Both carry a maximum penalty of not less than three nor more than seven years in prison and/or a $14,000 fine.

He has also been charged with driving without a valid license, which is a gross misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.

Unconditional bail for Sam was set at $150,000 and he is in the Mille Lacs County Jail.