Guilty Plea Entered on OWI Third Charge

Bryan Thomas Elliott, a Hillsdale resident with a history of drinking and driving, recently pleaded guilty to one more charge of the same kind.

On Monday, September 8, Elliot pleaded guilty to a single count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) – third offense, in the Hillsdale County Circuit Court before Judge Michael Smith.

Elliot told the judge that on August 22nd he had consumed three “tall boy” beers, which are 24 oz cans of beer, and one Four Loko malt beverage, which is a 24 oz can of fruit flavored alcoholic beverage also known as “black-out in a can”, before getting behind the wheel of a company vehicle and driving away.

His girlfriend, with whom he had fought before driving away, called the police to report that he had assaulted her and taken her cell phone while drunk.

Police began a search for Elliot, finding him on U.S. 12 in Moscow Township. He was pulled over and a Breathalyzer was administered. The results showed that his blood alcohol content (BAC) was .15, which is almost two times the legal limit for Michigan, where .08 is the cut-off for drinking and driving.

Elliot has a record of drunk driving convictions. His two prior OWI offenses date back to April 2008 and Sept. 2012. Because of his two prior convictions, his current drunk driving charge becomes a felony punishable by a prison term of up to two years.

Elliot was initially also charged with single counts of domestic violence, interfering with electronic communications (stemming from his having allegedly taken his girlfriend’s cell phone) and driving on a suspended license, which is a second offense.

However, during the re-arraignment in Circuit Court, Elliot pled guilty to the OWI charge but denied the remaining charges. Because of his guilty plea, the prosecution was willing to not pursue the remaining charges.

Elliott is scheduled for sentencing on October 6th at 8:30 am.