Carl Eller

[otto_man]

Why was he driving 97 mph when he's all boozed up??

Hall of Famer Carl Eller arrested for driving under the influence

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Hall of Famer Carl Eller was arrested for driving under the influence early Sunday morning, according to the state patrol.

A trooper stopped the former Minnesota Vikings' star in suburban Golden Valley after clocking Eller going 97 mph in a 55 mph zone on westbound Interstate 394 around 3:30 a.m., said Lt. Chuck Walerius with State Patrol's West Metro office.

The trooper also saw Eller making a lane change and taking an exit ramp without signaling, Walerius said.

Field sobriety tests indicated that the 64-year-old Eller was driving while impaired, so he was taken to Minneapolis police's chemical testing facility, Walerius said.

Eller refused blood alcohol tests there and was held in the Hennepin County jail until he was bailed out in the afternoon. He was charged with fourth-degree driving under the influence, a misdemeanor, Walerius said.

KSTP-TV, which first reported the arrest, said the bail was $500.

Eller was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the summer of 2004. He retired in 1979 after 16 NFL seasons. He was a five-time All-Pro who played in six Pro Bowls and four Super Bowls.

Eller was an admitted former substance abuser who became a drug counselor in Minneapolis. Walerius said Eller's driving record appeared to be clean. The case was turned over to Golden Valley city attorney's office for prosecution, he said.

A message left by The Associated Press on Eller's cell phone Sunday night was not immediately returned.

[lawdog]

The Misdemeanor DWI is possibly going to be upgraded to a Gross Misdemeanor test refusal once the City Attorney's office looks at it (at least it should be...). The speed is a also a misdemeanor as its over 30 mph over the speed limit.

Eller is not smart...

[John Mickish]

Lawdog, whats the difference between a 1st degree and 4th deree DWI?

[lawdog]

4th degree is a misdemeanor 1st time offense 90 days jail max and/or $1000 fine

3rd and 2nd are Gross Misdemeanors and are based on one or two aggravating factors (eg. over.20, priors within ten years or a test refusal bumps it up one level too (eg. 1st time but test refusal treated like a second)) 1 year jail/$3000 fine both

1st degree is a felony: 3 priors within ten years and 7 years state prison max penalty

That's a too short but probably accurate enough for these purposes explanation...

[John Mickish]

Thanks, I always wondered what they where.