Carlton County attorney pleads guilty to DWI

DULUTH — Carlton County's attorney has pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.

Thom Pertler pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree DWI. That was for refusing to submit to a chemical test. Six other counts, including speeding, open bottle, and no proof of insurance, were dismissed.

Pertler apologized before his sentencing. He says "words can't describe" his remorse.

The Duluth News Tribune (http://bit.ly/OeMxvZ) reports the judge sentenced Pertler to one year in jail, but the sentence for stayed for two years of supervised probation. Pertler was fined $2,095, but $1,000 of the fine will be stayed if he follows conditions of his probation.

A state trooper stopped Pertler in Duluth for driving erratically last July.

A preliminary breath test indicated Pertler had a blood-alcohol content of 0.234 percent, nearly three times the legal limit to drive in Minnesota.