Is There an Unfair Bias Against Drunk Drivers?

reply to post by Choppsmcfame


Yeah you should be prevented from anything dangerous, when it comes to protecting others from you. You have no rights to the freedom of a car when drinking, in my opinion.

Originally posted by D.Wolf
reply to post by Choppsmcfame

 

Yeah you should be prevented from anything dangerous, when it comes to protecting others from you. You have no rights to the freedom of a car when drinking, in my opinion.

Good thing you didnt write the constitution!

Not only should First time drunk drivers be made to have to put yellow plates on their cars. They should be BRANDED with a large Capital D on their forehead. Also they should have both their hands cut off and tongues removed.

I would also like to see mandatory life sentences w/o possibility of parole for people who are found DUI.

Any Elected official found under the influence while driving... Mandatory exicution by the state to be carried out within 10 days of conviction.

That would learn people that driving drunk isn't a good thing.

[edit on 6/22/2008 by whatukno]

reply to post by wheresthetruth


I don't disagree with you, the plates serve a purpose. Wouldn't they also serve a purpose on the cars, trucks and vans of convicted sex offenders? Why this rabid viciousness over people getting their first DUI and not over someone's first rape or first molesting of a few kids at cub scout camp?? Is this not MORE outrageous to everyone then the woman who has 4 or 5 glasses of wine at dinner and drives home???

Why is everyone so rabid about the DUI offenders yet NOT about the sex offenders and child molesters? That's all I am asking and I am getting no answers here.

reply to post by LateApexer313


well take my post above for what to do with DUI infractions. Now what do you think I would do with child molestors and rapists?

reply to post by whatukno


Cut off the hands of shoplifters also?

reply to post by whatukno


What! Good FINALLY someone who agrees with me here that what's good for the first time offender of a TRAFFIC MISDEMEANOR should apply to sex offenders

Chants: What for Prez! What for Prez!

reply to post by Choppsmcfame


Absolutly. Dangit that would teach em. I say get brutaly tough on crime and you will see crime decrease dramaticly.

increase manditory exicutions for repeat offenders and I gurantee that people would not do the same crime twice.

reply to post by LateApexer313

Why is everyone so rabid about the DUI offenders yet NOT about the sex offenders and child molesters? That's all I am asking and I am getting no answers here.

Uh, dont even get me started on how sex offenders and child molesters should be delt with I have to stay away from those threads or my heart rate raises TOO much and my blood literally boils.

I put 350k miles on the road in the 90's for seven years driving two E350's for a home health agency. No moving violations for over 25yrs, never a dui or ovi.

One afternoon my assistant and I were on a run on the freeway at 60mph. Right lane as usual. Corner of my eye in sideview I see this young business chick two inches off my bumper coming into my lane. I take evasive action avoiding collision with mountain dew spewing all over cab jumping out of cupholders for my trouble.

What was she doing? Reading a map while driving. A map! I was pissed! I busted my horn of her three times. What did she do 30 seconds later?
Pull the map back out.

Map readers, cell phoners, texters, ragers, yelling at the kids in the back seaters, speeders, drowsy drivers, and loose bowelers/bladder impaired all need their own special plates.

It is a revenue generator. Period. .08 is ridiculous.

I agree a lot with the original poster as many people with first time DUI's are people just like you and me. The state should be held accountable for inadequate and misleading information. In Florida, the legal limit is .08 however, you can blow below that and still get a DUI, even if you do well on all of your field sobriety tests. Secondly, people absorb and detox alcohol differently depending on sex, body type, metabolism, food/drink consumption and tolerance. But, the same sobriety tests are given to everyone, even those who are handicapped and can't perform a test normally if they've had zero drinks or twenty (just a random example.) I know that I can not personally perform certain tests, like the hands out to your side and one leg either being held up continually or resting on the leg. What's up with that test? I can't ever perform that test.

I know that MADD is behind a lot of the hype of DUI's and they have done a lot to save people from alcohol related crimes however, everything is relative and this has gone way overboard. When a couple can't go out to dinner and have a couple of beers or wine, something is wrong (and I'm talking about people that really just have a couple of beers/wine.) I know alcohol can kill but think about how many people that have had a little to drink and made it home SAFELY without harming anyone or themselves.

I know since I work as a probation officer of these crimes that not everyone deserves to be on probation. Most of the people accept probation and give up their right to a jury trial because of the threat of jail. 99.9% of the time after having pled and accepted probation these people have no idea what they are in for but after they sign on the dotted line it's too late because by the time they figure out what's required for probation the appeal time has passed. I know the conditions are written into the court minutes but telling someone they have to take a class/pay some fines and take a drug test is a lot different than probation telling the class costs about $300, fines total over a $1K, you have to call in five days a week for random drug testing and report if your code is called/you have to impound your car for 10, 30, 60 or longer days at the very least $10/day/if the DUI school evaluator says you need counseling you have to attend that weekly---(and most of the counseling agencies are full of crap and you do nothing more than pay them money for treatment and more drug tests/you have to visit your probation officer twice a month and you may get stuck with one of those nasty officers who is a worse criminal than you and has no morals and treats you like crap/you may not be able to leave the state/you can't drive most of the time for at least a period of time and then you might be able to get a hardship license if you can afford it unless you didn't blow then you have to wait at least 3 months/the DMV never tells you where you can drive to/from--they just give some blanket answer and ultimately it's up to the law enforcement officer who pulled you over to discern if you're driving within your restrictions---if he doesn't believe you and writes you for a DWLS (driving while license suspended) it automatically violates your probation which can get you between 90-365 days in the county jail.

Not that I'm promoting violence in any way but you'd be better off getting caught stealing/domestic violence or drugs because it's much cheaper and easier to complete. I don't know about you but I think drug dealers are more hazardous than someone having a couple of beers with dinner.

Basically we need better education because right now people do not realize that they can get arrested for blowing under .08 or taking their own prescription drugs--especially when they carry their RX with them without the bottle.(Sorry for any typos.)

Ok, I have one for you all...let me get my bullet proof vest on and an asbestos fire suit because i am going to get flamed big time for this one

I went to school, from preschool to high school graduation with Jim Leyritz...those of you who are baseball fans might recognize his name, he was on the New York Yankees and in a world series I believe.



www.foxnews.com...

His blood alcohol level was .13 and in Florida the limit is .08.



sportsillustrated.cnn.com...

Now, a horrible tragedy on all counts. Jim has 3 kids of his own, the poor woman he hit and killed had 2 kids and a husband Jim faces a mandatory 15 years in prison, at least, according to Florida law.

When he ran a red light and hit her, her SUV rolled over and she was thrown from the car and died. She wasn't wearing a seatbelt and had just come form her bartending job.

Her alcohol level was .08, legally drunk as well, and not wearing a seat belt.


sportsbybrooks.com...

Now, if you were the judge would you still dole out the 15 year mandatory sentence, if you had a choice to give a more lenient sentence, owing to the fact that she was out drinking and driving as well and breaking the law by not wearing a seat belt?




[edit on 22-6-2008 by LateApexer313]

[edit on 22-6-2008 by LateApexer313]

[edit on 22-6-2008 by LateApexer313]

It's a slippery slope LA. Not surprised in the least this would evoke so many deep emotion.

I think the basic point of your premise is the nazi style handling of even a first offender.

My point is everyone makes mistakes. If one does not learn from them....lay down the gauntlet.

The system works with impunity and little leeway.

reply to post by jpm1602


Yes jpm that's my point exactly. If law enforcement, and organizations would put this level of effort into other crimes that they did concerning the traffic misdemeanor that is DUI, forming sobriety checkpoints, rousting anyone out on the road after midnight to check to see if they're drunk etc, imagine what other crimes could be lowered.

It is a slippery slope, good point, the DUI laws are ridiculously strict for first offenders, compared to other crimes, and it has to be the revenue they generate. But the other crimes as well could generate just as much revenue, and I for one don't want to see an army of jackbooted thugs out patrolling EVERYTHING the way they do for DUI's...I just think there's a money conspiracy behind it...I think it's the MOST targeted crime in this country...we're constantly bombarded by messages about it...and if it's so bad, why not make it a felony?

And why the DUI hysteria as you can see in the beginning of this thread, when people's emotions ran high thinking I meant that DUI shouldn't be illegal etc...people got all bent out of shape, which shows how the last 20 year's war on DUI has obviously worked!

reply to post by LateApexer313


Well, I would not change his sentence, because his actions are still what killed her....

when he struck and killed Freida Ann Veicht

...regardless if she had been drinking or not. He hit her and killed her.

What a horrible story

Leyritz, who already had a long record of traffic violations

Not sure what all those records were.

The AP reports Veitch’s BAC was .18, not .08. If Leyritz indeed ran a red light, then we suppose Veitch’s BAC level is irrelevant. But it does throw something to think about into the future court proceedings.

And they take note that he ran the red light and hit her....was it a result of him drinking? Or just being a crappy driver? Or both. Who knows.



[edit on 22-6-2008 by greeneyedleo]

You made some excellent counter point references. Why child molesters don't have pink plates RIGHT NOW! pales in comparison to a one more beer than I should out with the mates shooting some pool.

To those that have lost loved ones to drunks, all of this is a moot point, rightfully so.

But some deep introspection needs to take place as to what is fair. Draconian measures are now in place.

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


WOW AMEN Anonymous Poster,

Thank you so much for your informative post!! I have known so many people who have done exactly what you said, just pled it out, the lawyer tells them they will never be able to get off it anyway, and they do and they have NO clue what they are in store for!!

I know one guy, here in Ohio you can serve 3 days in jail or go to an "alcohol" in-treatment facility for 4 nights, that you pay for. Well he was a white collar executive, had NO intentions of going to our jail here in Cincinnati, there's gang members and killers in it

Well he did the inpatient deal, well, he was honest in his answers there, and they labeled him as an "alcoholic" and told him he had to do 3 days a week outpatient treatment, 4 hours a day...and he was like HUH? I have a 9 to 5 job, how am I supposed to do that and not lose my job? The answer? Tough crap, you shouldn't have had 5 beers and driven.

Long story short, he had 6 MONTHS of out patient treatment that HE had to pay for, lost his job of course, and had to do all of that stuff you said, be on call to take a urine test anytime 24/7 etc. And he only blew a .09.

Thanks for giving us an inside look at the money-making beast that is DUI. A star for you

Originally posted by mopusvindictus

For instance, i'd gladly drink a 1/5th of JD and take a road test against any senior citizen in the world... who is to say where you are impared? What is your skill in the first place?

The comment about outdriving ANY senior after inbibing a 5th of JD is about the most ludicrous statement I've read here on ATS.

If you don't mind, I'd like to take you up on your road test. I'm a senior citizen with money to wager. I spend 25 hours a week on Los Angeles' freeways @75 mph, bumper to bumper, and let me tell you, it's the youngin's that are not paying attention. Too busy with cells, ipod's, kids, makeup, and food being the major distractions.

Some facts to be considered to correct your comments - percentage of accidents by age group (1998):

Drivers under 19 - 5.4%
Drivers 20 - 24 - 8.4%
Drivers 25 - 34 - 20.1%
Drivers 35 - 44 - 22.5%
Drivers 45 - 54 - 18.2%
Drivers 55 - 64 - 11.5%
Drivers 65 - 74 - 8.2%
Drivers 75+ - 5.7%

I don't know where you got your info (hopefully not from a bottle of old #7) but it is completely wrong.

If a person has "Whisky Plates" on their vehicles, then they deserve it. No if's or but's. Because we all know if you get caught driving DUI, it wasn't the first time you've driven badly impaired. You've just been lucky the other 20, 30, or 40 times. Most folks pulled over and arrested for DUI's are blowing a heck of a lot more than the legal limit. Way, way over!!!

These plates allow law enforment to pull you over without probable cause, just to check your sobriety. It's a heck of a deterent. Cry if you must, but there is no excuse for driving drunk. If you can't control yourself, then someone has to. That's why the law is what it is.

Mopusvindictus - I'll be the old, bald guy sitting in the white Trans-Am, waiting for you on the side of a lonely stretch of road that goes on for miles. I suggest you administer my "road test" sober. Bring a towel with you, too.

Anonymous Poster Thanks for the info. My court Date is actually on Wednesday for my first DUI, and I guess I have alot to look forward 2. I am just getting ready to start my DUI school and than hopefully get my hardship license. The only good thing that I can say that came out of this incident is that I have had to ride a bike 20+ miles a day to get to school and to work and it has gotten me back in shape.

Mandatory exicutions (sic), tongues cut out even for first timers...get a grip whatyoukno. 'Manditory' (sic). Accidentally corrected.

Now you are just being ridiculous.

How about fingers chopped off for hysterical posts?

'Watch crime drop dramaticly' (sic)...no...just by brain cells reading these type of witchhunts posts.

'That'll learn 'em alright' Just learned who's new on my iggy list. I feel better already.

[edit on 6/22/2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 6/22/2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 6/22/2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 6/22/2008 by jpm1602]