The DeKalb police officer who was arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated has been given a court date.

Curt Biarnesen, 43, a veteran of the department, was arrested in the early hours of Aug. 27 in the Wisconsin township of Rome, a small town 43 miles east of Madison.

According to reports, police stopped Biarnesen’s car after he failed to dim his headlights while passing another vehicle. While speaking to Biarnesen, police said they smelled alcohol in the car, and after Biarnesen refused to perform field sobriety tests, he was placed under arrest.

According to police, at the time of the incident, Biarnesen’s passengers, all fellow DeKalb officers, claimed that the alcoholic odor most likely was coming from them.

In December, Biarnesen pleaded not guilty to charges. In a review hearing late last week, Biarnesen was given a court date of April 21.

Biarnesen’s lawyers wanted to get the OWI charges dropped, but Rome’s town attorney, Dan Wood, said the town is unwilling to do that.

It is rare for an OWI case in Rome to go to bench trial, Wood said. The cases usually are settled prior to any trial dates being set, he added.

In addition to facing charges of OWI, Biarnesen also faces charges for refusing to take a blood test.

A refusal conviction through the district attorney’s office could lead to a 12-month revocation of his license, Wood said.

Biarnesen still is on the force at the DeKalb Police Department. Chief Bill Feithen said he would not comment on the case, as it is a personnel issue.