Robert Barnett, veterinarian at self-owned Callaway County Veterinary Clinic for large animals, will be in court on Nov. 26 facing his fourth DWI charge along with the charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Barnett was arrested on Oct. 30 in the parking lot of his vet clinic on County Road 306, accused of hitting the front and rear of one of his employees' cars and fleeing the scene, according to the Cpl. Steve Johnson, the arresting officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The employee called in the accident and told Johnson on scene that Barnett was "extremely intoxicated."
Barnett is currently facing another DWI charge (his third) from this past summer. Barnett is currently considered an aggravated offender, which under Missouri statute means Barnett has pleaded guilty or been convicted of three or more intoxication-related offenses. An aggravated offense is a class C felony. The penalty for a class C felony is a maximum of seven years in prison. If Barnett is found guilty of his July DWI charge, Johnson said, his October offense will be considered a chronic offender. Chronic offenses fall under class D felonies, which carry a penalty between five and 15 years imprisonment under Missouri statute.