De Bruin v. State

This case arises under ch. 351, Stats., entitled "Habitual Traffic Offenders.” The issue is how to measure the number of offenses committed within a five-year period under sec. 351.02, Stats. In the trial court, the defendant, Jack N. De Bruin, argued that the proper measurement is the number of convictions within a five-year period; the state asserted that the proper measure is the number of violations occurring within the five-year period, as long as the violations result in a conviction at some time. The trial court agreed with the defendant and found that he was not a habitual traffic…