PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) - A Clarkston man is accused of drinking and driving for the fourth time. And that's not all; he's had his license suspended nearly two dozen times.
Timothy Gene Flansburg, 31, has already been convicted of driving while impaired or drunk three different times. He should not have even been driving, since his license had been suspended indefinitely. Flansburg smelled of alcohol and blew a .16 and a .14 in breathalyzer tests administered by police.
Flansburg was arraigned Monday on a felony of drunk driving and driving on a suspended license. He tried to convince the court it was just a mistake.
"I've been doing good," he told the judge. "It was a slip-up."
Flansburg's driving record runs seven pages, beginning in 1998 with five convictions for a minor in possession of alcohol. He was picked up for drunk or impaired driving in 2005, 2006 and 2008. His license has been suspended some 20 times. Judge Richard Kuhn, Jr., called him a danger to society.
"For the safety of the community, and because of the severity of the charges, I set bond at $25,000," Kuhn said.
"It is very frustrating," said Waterford Deputy Chief Jeffrey James. "We find ourselves seeing the same people over and over."
A fifth grade class from Cooley Elementary happened to be observing in Judge Kuhn's court.
"I want them to see that life choices start early," said teacher Jennifer Dobrin. "If you start making bad choices, they will just get worse."
