11-28-13 hopper wins on appeal

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former state Sen. Randy Hopper has won a case in state appeals court related to his 2011 arrest for drunken driving.  The 2nd District Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the Fond du Lac Circuit Court's ruling dismissing a charge against Hopper, a Republican who argued his arrest was politically motivated.  Hopper was elected in 2008 but recalled from office in 2011. The arrest came two months after the recall.  A jury found him not guilty of drunken driving. He was also charged with refusing to take an alcohol breath test, but that was dismissed.  Fond du Lac County appealed the dismissal of that charge, but the appeals court upheld the decision, saying the county failed to make its arguments as required before the trial court.