Man denies guilt in third DUI charge
Toolbox
Published: October 28, 2009
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A Windsor man denied his third drunken driving charge Tuesday, as well as a charge of resisting arrest after police said the man didn't want to go peacefully.
Patrick S. Ovitt, 40, pleaded innocent in White River Junction District Court to a felony charge of drunken driving, as well as misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and marijuana possession.
According to court records, Ovitt was convicted of drunken driving in 1994 and 1999, and his newest charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He is free on conditions he observe an evening curfew in his home and submit to alcohol testing.
Around 11:30 p.m. Oct. 16, records state, police clocked Ovitt as he drove 52 mph in a 40-mph zone on Charlestown Road in Springfield. When police questioned Ovitt, the officer could smell the "overwhelming odor of intoxicating liquor emanating from the vehicle," records state.
Police observed a knife and a sword on the passenger's seat and asked Ovitt to remove any other weapons from his pockets and step out of his vehicle, but during a pat down, police found yet another knife in Ovitt's jacket pocket, records state.
As the officer attempted to remove the knife from Ovitt's jacket, Ovitt became angry and demanded to see a search warrant and proof he was speeding in the first place, according to records.
Police also found a pipe and about 6 grams of marijuana, and when told he was under arrest, Ovitt refused to put his hands behind his back and two police officers used force to arrest him, records state.
A breath test revealed Ovitt had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.218, records state.
— Staff reports
38