GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A former school bus driver charged with drinking beer while chauffeuring a field trip pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
James Nelson, 70, faces one misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated with a passenger under 16 years old for the April 18 incident.
No trial date was set. Nelson returns to court May 31 for a pre-trial conference, court records show.
Students from Green Bay’s Lincoln Elementary School were on a field trip to the Capitol and zoo in Madison. On the way home, a student discovered a leaking beer can under the driver’s seat.
After discussions between staff on the bus, Lamers Bus Lines and the school district, the trip home was completed. Upon returning to Green Bay, police interviewed Nelson, who admitted having the beers while waiting at one of the stops.
He apologized during a previous court hearing.
A field sobriety test was performed but was inconclusive. A preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol level of .056, and Nelson was initially arrested for operating a commercial motor vehicle with a BAC above .04, although that’s not the charge prosecutors filed.
Nelson faces a misdemeanor count with a fine of $350 to $1,100, and jail time of five days to six months.
In court, Nelson said he resigned from Lamers Bus Lines. The company confirmed he was terminated.
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