Luehrs pleads guilty to drunken driving

For the second time in a week, former Hudson High School class president and football team captain Ben Luehrs found himself in front of a judge in his hometown.

Luehrs, 19, who now lives in Eau Claire, pleaded guilty July 16 to driving while intoxicated last month. He appeared in Hudson Municipal Court in front of Judge Sue Gherty.

On Monday, July 14, he appeared before St. Croix County Judge Scott Needham for violating his probation. Luehrs was one of 14 HHS graduates convicted of criminal damage to property for his part in vandalizing his own school as well as New Richmond High School. Luehrs was also involved in vandalizing North and Memorial high schools in Eau Claire the same evening.

In accordance with sentencing guidelines for a first DWI offense, Gherty fined Luehrs $800 and ordered him to submit to an alcohol and drug assessment program. His driver's license will be suspended for six months, and six points will be added to his driving record.

The judge asked Luehrs how he intended to pay the fine. He said he would either take out a loan or get help from his parents. Gherty urged him to get a job and pay the fine himself.

As part of his sentence from Needham last March, Luehrs was ordered to maintain absolute sobriety and to stay out of trouble. Since that time he has had several run-ins with law enforcement in Eau Claire. Those incidents coupled with the DWI citation in Hudson prompted probation officials to ask Needham to review Luehrs' case.

As he told Judge Needham earlier in the week, Luehrs said he is spending the summer doing his court-ordered 80 hours of community service, attending summer school and playing football for the Eau Claire Crush.

Luehrs is scheduled to be in an Eau Claire court July 21 on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and violating an absolute sobriety order.

Tags: news, hudson, luehrs, vandal