GOP lawmaker Buesgens pleads guilty in DWI case

A Republican state legislator has pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge in Wright County District Court under a deal to perform 60 hours of community service.

Wright County authorities arrested Rep. Mark Buesgens of Jordan on September 18 after spotting his car coming out of a ditch. His blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit.

Assistant Wright County attorney Shane Simonds says Buesgens' deal included the dropping of two related charges. He'll be sentenced Nov. 23 and Simonds says he'll also get a term of probation.

Buesgens was re-elected Tuesday to his Scott County House seat. He previously apologized, resigned from a Republican Party consulting gig and said he'd seek a chemical-dependency evaluation. Buesgens had worked for the campaign of GOP candidate for governor Tom Emmer until early September.

Buesgens' attorney did not immediately return a phone message Friday.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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