Tony Romo Arrested on Suspected OWI at 46 After Failing I-43 Sobriety Tests

Q: Can Tony Romo beat Wisconsin's strict 10-day legal deadline to save his license after his shocking Milwaukee arrest?

Yes—if Romo or his lawyer moves immediately, he can still preserve his right to fight a license suspension. In Wisconsin, the key issue after an OWI arrest is not the Sept. 21 court date but the short administrative deadline tied to any Notice of Intent to Suspend or Revoke. For a typical first-offense OWI with a chemical test result, a driver generally has 10 days from the notice date to request the administrative review that can challenge the license action. If that request is not filed on time, the suspension usually becomes automatic when the temporary operating period expires, often around 30 days after notice. Some Wisconsin materials describe a 30-day review deadline in certain contexts, but the safest reading is that the critical protection window is the 10-day one. Whether Romo can “beat” that deadline depends entirely on timing and paperwork that has not been made public. If deputies issued the notice at or near the arrest Thursday night, the clock would already be running. If he files in time, he does not automatically save his license, but he does keep alive his chance to challenge the suspension. Even for a first offense, the stakes are real. Wisconsin usually treats it as a civil matter, but a conviction can still bring a 6- to 9-month license revocation, assessments and fees, possible occupational-license costs, and lasting insurance consequences. Wisconsin also does not expunge OWI findings, so the record can follow a driver for life.

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 24

Milwaukee County deputies arrested Tony Romo, 46, on Thursday night after stopping him on southbound I-43 and determining he performed poorly on field sobriety tests.
The former Cowboys quarterback was booked and released, and the case remains under investigation with a court appearance scheduled for Sept. 21.
Wisconsin treats a first OWI offense as a civil violation, carrying potential fines and a driver's license revocation; the arrest report said this was Romo's first such case.
CBS, where Romo has served as lead NFL analyst since 2017, declined comment on the arrest.