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It is all about the money. It's funny people think it's about saving lives bc it's not. I know a guy in CA who got busted because he was pulled over for something else (broken taillight) and answered honestly when the cop asked if he'd been drinking. He wasn't driving impaired at all, but it was $10k right there and he can't work his way out of that with a job that requires driving. Just one example.
I'm all for punishment, all for it, I'm never about money making schemes on the backs of whoever happens to get caught in the headlights...so to speak.
Oh, and the reason people don't always just "call a cab" is because they probable ARE NOT impaired enough to need one and they know it, but the system doesn't.
Don't even get me started on CA smog certifications....
Before I started this thread, I thought it was blatantly obvious that it's not about saving lives. Apparently many are nieve enough to believe that... but rather I believe they aren't really that foolish. It's simply easier to look the other way because it does not (or has not yet) personally affected themselves or someone close to them. That's just the way society seems to be nowadays. "I have mine so everything is great" "It does not personally affect me so too bad eat crow"
There is some kinda bizarre DUI witch-hunt thing going in the country where we single out DUI's as the whipping boy of arrests. It is fascinating but unfortunate because it allows the system to ruin lives. Whereas most other "misdemeanor" crimes will not carry the finacial burden and other related hardships making life more difficult for you average person.
All about increasing revenue and making people lives miserable with feel good requirements and hoops to go through. Period.
Well I'm glad you conceded that. If you live near a major city with a lot of police presence it is not strangely unusual or rare to get arrested after driving drunk for the first time. Rural Kentucky? Yeah, probably pretty rare.
I can't speak for everywhere, but most city cops won't mess with you unless you are doing something really stupid. (like speeding faster than they are. ) So you have to ask yourself what the person was doing that drew attention.
Just a few days ago we had an older fella in a town outside of Dallas hit a child in the road. He was a repeat DUI offender. He had been drinking that morning (no surprise there), but says he wasn't "drunk." However, he had been drinking excessive amounts for the several days leading up to that (he gave an interview from jail on tv; he said he hadn't been drinking that much the days before....just a few cases of beer each day).
Asked if he wanted to say anything to the child's family (the child lived, but is in critical condition), he said that he was sorry the incident happened, and people should teach their kids to stay out of the road.
The child was one of two who had just eaten some icecream in a small diner on one side of the street, then left to go across the street. The guy was driving a truck and ran one of the children down.
He should not have been out of jail at all, having had several DUI offenses in the past. He's clearly an alcoholic. It was only a matter of time until he hurt or killed someone.
Don't drink and drive. Just one drink impairs a person's reflexes and judgment. Society used to be accepting of that. That is no longer the case. There must be a designated driver.
I agree that a first offense, if not too bad (alcohol level not high, no serious driving offenses when caught), should not ruin a person's life. BUT if a company won't hire someone with a criminal background, there's nothing that can be done about that. That is a company's choice. You do understand that a DUI is a criminal offense, right?
It's not the court's fault that attorneys cost money. You were caught committing a criminal act. That's YOUR fault. It's YOUR decision whether to hire an attorney. You don't have to. If you are poor, one will be appointed for you.
Fines are the norm for all criminal offenses, aren't they?
Don't drink and drive. If you find that hard to do, YOU are the reason for the existence of the laws. Because it's easy for most people to abide by that law.
Don't drink and drive. If you find that hard to do, YOU are the reason for the existence of the laws. Because it's easy for most people to abide by that law.
And if it's NOT easy to abide by that law, then perhaps the person has bigger problems that need to be addressed.
DUI is actually punishable at a state level. In the state I live a DUI is not a criminal offense, in the next state over any DUI involving a minor is a felony.
That is something I also have a problem with. How the DUI laws vary drastically by state. I can commit the exact same DUI first offense in one state and have a criminal charge and the next state it is a traffic violation. How is that fair? We live in the same country right?
Pennsylvania's first offense varies wildly from Arizona for example. Pennsylvania doesn't try to ruin peoples lives just yet! But they put the hammer down for a second offense which I find reasonable.
Here is Pennsylvania's fair and reasonable punishment for a standard DUI first offense:
Minimum Jail
No minimum jail time required
Fines and Penalties
$300
License Suspension
No
IID* Required
Yes, if refusal to take chemical test
Note: Pennsylvania has a series of penalty tiers, depending on the driver’s BAC. The tiers are .08, .10 to .159%, and .16 or higher.
That is something I also have a problem with. How the DUI laws vary drastically by state. I can commit the exact same DUI first offense in one state and have a criminal charge and the next state it is a traffic violation. How is that fair? We live in the same country right?
There really is a VERY SIMPLE solution to this "problem"....DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!! Period.
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) So you have to ask yourself what the person was doing that drew attention.
Let's just wait until they kill you or someone you love, and then we can throw the book at 'em.
