Does San Antonio have a drinking & driving problem? (O'Donnell: city hall, felony)

[majormadmax]

I heard that someone was convicted today of their fourth DWI at the Bexar County Court. It is stories such as these which only futher convinces me that there is still a serious drinking and driving problem in San Antonio, and the police departments here (SAPD and BCSD) need to seriously crack down on drunk drivers.

I don't know what sentence the individual got, but if I were the judge I would put them in jail for four years...and they would never get a license to drive again. The law should be that anyone convicted of a second DWI automatically gets two years, three if there is a third, and so on. And there would be no exceptions to those sentences. One DWI is bad enough, but multiple ones are inexcusable!

Cheers! M2

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

I heard that someone was convicted today of their fourth DWI at the Bexar County Court. It is stories such as these which only futher convinces me that there is still a serious drinking and driving problem in San Antonio, and the police departments here (SAPD and BCSD) need to seriously crack down on drunk drivers.

I don't know what sentence the individual got, but if I were the judge I would put them in jail for four years...and they would never get a license to drive again. The law should be that anyone convicted of a second DWI automatically gets two years, three if there is a third, and so on. And there would be no exceptions to those sentences. One DWI is bad enough, but multiple ones are inexcusable!

Cheers! M2

I totally agree M2 , like I've said before it doesn't take that many cops. They can catch all they can eat coming out of every bar and night club. If they were serious that's what they should do. Certainly by the third dwi they should be removed from the road forever. If they have to be incarcerated to keep them off the road so be it.

[nw4life]

Originally Posted by majormadmax

I heard that someone was convicted today of their fourth DWI at the Bexar County Court. It is stories such as these which only futher convinces me that there is still a serious drinking and driving problem in San Antonio, and the police departments here (SAPD and BCSD) need to seriously crack down on drunk drivers.

I don't know what sentence the individual got, but if I were the judge I would put them in jail for four years...and they would never get a license to drive again. The law should be that anyone convicted of a second DWI automatically gets two years, three if there is a third, and so on. And there would be no exceptions to those sentences. One DWI is bad enough, but multiple ones are inexcusable!

Cheers! M2

I agree with a bunch you say here but everyone seems to forget why a bunch of these people are free. Jail and Prison overcrowding. When you hsve a DA who refuses to let the small petty stuff go with a ticket and a appearance in court later as to not tie up the system and fill it with petty misdemeanors(Austin finally realized this) then you have less room to put these people in and then we have to put them in probation and back out on the street. I will tell you I think we need to look more into treatment for these people as jail will not work for some of them. Money would be better spent on treatment than repeatedly sending them through the jail system to cure nothing.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by nw4life

I agree with a bunch you say here but everyone seems to forget why a bunch of these people are free. Jail and Prison overcrowding. When you hsve a DA who refuses to let the small petty stuff go with a ticket and a appearance in court later as to not tie up the system and fill it with petty misdemeanors(Austin finally realized this) then you have less room to put these people in and then we have to put them in probation and back out on the street. I will tell you I think we need to look more into treatment for these people as jail will not work for some of them. Money would be better spent on treatment than repeatedly sending them through the jail system to cure nothing.

I hear you and understand that's definitely a problem. But, what are you going to treat? Alcoholism? Inability to obey the law? I agree there's a lot of petty stuff that could be handled another way. Most of these people would probably tell you they don't have a problem. I've worked places where every day after work everyone would gather out in the parking lot. Everyone would chip in and someone would make the beer run. These guys would sit and drink all night til midnight or so! They all have to drive themselves home. This goes on all over town I'm sure. Sorry, now I'm just rambling on. We do need more rehab for those in jails and prisons. But, who's going to pay for it ? I don't think it would hurt to make the booze just a little bit less convenient. It's a serious problem especially here, but there are no easy fixes for it.

[DigginHouseVibez]

Someone sent me this link not too long ago. We were trying to find some friends (old friends from back in high school) that we couldn't locate. Someone suggested a criminal search as last resort - not that we expected to find anything but if you really want to find someone you'll check everywhere. Anyway, we did find ONE person. She's doing time for her fourth DUI currently. I could not believe the staggering amount of people who all have convictions here for drinking and driving. It makes me shudder to think about all the late nights we would spend out (not too long ago!) and while we don't drink or if we do it's not much and we don't drive, I'm grateful that we were never involved in an accident involving someone else who had been. Especially at the hours that we would come home at!! (2 - 4 am - isn't that prime DUI time?)

Criminal Searches - FREE criminal searches on anyone

[SATX56]

[quote=DigginHouseVibez;4754041]Someone sent me this link not too long ago. We were trying to find some friends (old friends from back in high school) that we couldn't locate. Someone suggested a criminal search as last resort - not that we expected to find anything but if you really want to find someone you'll check everywhere. Anyway, we did find ONE person. She's doing time for her fourth DUI currently. I could not believe the staggering amount of people who all have convictions here for drinking and driving. It makes me shudder to think about all the late nights we would spend out (not too long ago!) and while we don't drink or if we do it's not much and we don't drive, I'm grateful that we were never involved in an accident involving someone else who had been. Especially at the hours that we would come home at!! (2 - 4 am - isn't that prime DUI time?)

That's probably the prime crime time period, not just for DWI's. That was a tongue twister! Not a good time to be on the road. You can bet your in some bad company during those hours.

[SATX56]

Does San Antonio have a drinking & driving problem?

My first thought when I first read this was.....problem? No it seems to be down to a fine science here.

[svg210]

Originally Posted by rd2007

exactly.. I was once pulled over because the constable didn't like the way I was driving and that was his actual words. I wasn't doing anything illegal and was actually following him the entire time. very bad police force here from what I've seen over the years

I got ticketed for disrupting the peace, when I told an officer at a stop light to use his frikken turn signal. He took it hard and then pulled me over for it. what a jerk. The judge dismissed the case though.

[SATX56]

Originally Posted by svg210

I got ticketed for disrupting the peace, when I told an officer at a stop light to use his frikken turn signal. He took it hard and then pulled me over for it. what a jerk. The judge dismissed the case though.

I don't think the sheriff's dept is quite up to snuff with city police. Don't mess with State Troopers!!

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by satx56

Does San Antonio have a drinking & driving problem?

My first thought when I first read this was.....problem? No it seems to be down to a fine science here.

Yep, they drink, they drive, they wreck, no problem. No insurance, either.

I think they deserve to be thrown in a very small room with Gilbert Gottfried, Roseanne, Larry the Cable Guy, Rosie O'Donnell, Celine Dion, Joan Rivers, Michael Moore, and Al Gore........with the door locked and a loop of All The Greatest Hits performed by the Chipmunks playing at an exceptionally high volume, while being forced to chew on aluminum foil. They have to serve a mandatory sentence, say 90 days, and then they can't come out until they promise to NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE again, or else they're goin' back in forever.