A child endangerment charge was dismissed at the request of the Winnebago County District Attorney as part of a voluntary negotiated guilty plea to a lower offense OWI charge.
The charges stemmed from a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by 34-year-old Melody Ann Aanrud on October 9th, 2011 by a Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy. As a result of field sobriety tests and a child in the vehicle Melody Aanrud was arrested for 1st offense OWI, child endangerment, and failure to have a valid license.
At a plea change hearing on Tuesday, April 17th, in Winnebago County District Court Aanrud pled guilty to the OWI charge and presiding District Court Judge Colleen D. Weiland dismissed the child endangerment charge on motion of the Winnebago County District Attorney. Judge Weiland sentenced Aanrud to serve two days in jail with credit for time served, pay a $1,250 fine, $437.50 surcharge, $10 DARE surcharge, and $100 in court costs, in addition to revoking her license for 180 days.
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.