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Wyoming man arrested twice in one night for Alcohol DUI

WYOMING -- A Casper, Wyoming man racked up two driving under the influence arrests in the same night last weekend after authorities say he bonded out of jail on the first one, then drove away from the county jail.

Wyoming Police first arrested Albert Metz Jr. about 9:30 p.m. Sunday after clocking him at 61 mph in a 40 mph zone on Wyoming Boulevard. Metz, a retired physician, told the officer he had drank "some wine" earlier in the day, according to a police affidavit from the case.

The 67-year-old was given a portable Breathalyzer test, which showed his blood alcohol content to be .087, authorities say. He was then taken to the Natrona County Detention Center.

Jail records indicate Metz bonded out at approximately 11:54 p.m. Sunday, roughly two hours after being booked in.

About 25 minutes later, a Wyoming State Trooper -- leaving the Natrona County Detention Center -- saw a car driven by Metz roll through a stop sign at the intersection of Salt Creek Parkway and Foster Street, according to an arrest affidavit.

The traffic sign is less than 25 yards from the driveway to the jail's parking lot.

When the officer told Metz why he had been stopped, he responded, "Oh, don't tell me. Jesus Christ, this can't be happening to me!" according to the affidavit.

Metz told the Wyoming officer he had been in jail and had not been drinking in there. He took another portable breath test, which showed his blood alcohol content to be .061 and was arrested, according to the affidavit. Jail records show that Metz bonded out about 12 hours later.

Under Wyoming state law, a person with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or above is presumed too drunk to drive. The law also states a person is considered drunk if alcohol consumption makes him or her incapable of driving safely.

On Tuesday, Metz made his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court, where prosecutors officially charged him with two counts of driving under the influence. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanors. If convicted, the maximum possible penalty for each charge is six months in jail.

Casper attorney John Robinson, who according to court documents is representing Metz, declined to comment Thursday.

Each county in Wyoming sets its own policy for the release of drunken driving suspects. Some don't release inmates until tests show they no longer have alcohol in their systems.

In Natrona County, drunk driving suspects are freed after posting a preset $550 bond. District Attorney Michael Blonigen said Thursday that as far as he knows, that preset amount is one of the lowest in the state. He added that the amount has been the same for at least 25 years.

"My view is that they should hold them until their initial appearance (in Circuit Court at 2 p.m.) the next day," he said of people suspected of driving while intoxicated.

Two years ago, several local authorities made a push for state legislators to enact laws that would keep drunken driving and public intoxication suspects in jail until they sobered up. The proposed law was shot down in Cheyenne.

"I think maybe it should be revisited," Blonigen said.

The push was spurred by the case of Doug Downs, who in late 2007 was arrested twice in one day for driving under the influence in Casper. After the first time, he bailed out and got behind the wheel again, ultimately hitting a pedestrian and dragging the victim under the vehicle more than a mile before stopping. Downs was sentenced to 1.5 to four years behind bars after pleading guilty to driving under the influence and driving under the influence causing bodily injury.

In Metz's case, two jury trials -- one for each charge -- will be scheduled in coming weeks.