Becker County, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – Michael Ernest Bruns Jr., 44, of rural Lake Park, has been sentenced in Becker County District Court on a felony DWI charge. A second felony DWI charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.
According to court records, on the evening of February 6, 2024, a state trooper on patrol near Lake Park observed a vehicle on Highway 10 making a wide turn into the wrong lane. The vehicle lacked license plates and displayed a temporary North Dakota permit in the rear window. The trooper activated his emergency lights, and the vehicle continued to a stop near the front doors of the Cenex gas station.
The trooper noticed a beer bottle on the front passenger side floor and observed that Bruns’ eyes were glassy, indicating intoxication. The trooper also detected the odor of alcohol from the vehicle. Bruns provided a preliminary breath test sample indicating a blood alcohol concentration of 0.28, over three times the legal limit.
Bruns has six prior impaired driving incidents, including three DWI convictions in 2017, 2019, and 2020, according to court records.
On April 19, Becker County District Judge Gretchen Thilmony sentenced Bruns to 36 months in prison, stayed for five years. He was ordered to serve 180 days in jail, with credit for 73 days served. Bruns was placed on supervised probation for five years and must complete 30 days of electronic alcohol monitoring each year while on probation. He was also ordered not to consume alcohol or mood-altering drugs, to complete a comprehensive assessment and follow all recommendations, including aftercare, and to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving impact panel.