DUI Convicts May Be Tracked Like Sex Offenders
Get ready for DUI offender registration, the next wave in MADD's push against people who get drunk driving charges and convictions.
There are certain law enforcement agencies that are pushing for the ability to compile databases which anybody can search online, similar to those that allow searches for registered sex offenders.
Already, many areas are publishing DUI arrests and convictions. This would prove to be the next logical step in making the otherwise lab-abiding citizen who happened to drink, drive and get caught, into a public enemy.
Famous DUIs: Why we should ignore them
Ok, this post is going to sound hypocritical. If you can't stand a dose of measured hypocrisy, please stop reading now.
I was just writing about the most recent Seattle Seahawk DUI, when it occurred to me why I write about them. Actually there are two reasons.
1) Frankly, some days it gets a bit boring analyzing cases and extrapolating the law and boiling it down to layman's terms; and
2) Famous DUI cases are easier to talk about because they are public examples. You can't just start blogging about Joe Schmoe's DUI if Joe ain't a public figure... it just feels wrong.
Despite the fact that they are important teaching tools, famous peoples' DUI arrests should be ignored (at least ignore who is involved).
Not so easy when people like Mel Gibson reveal their true colors. Not so easy when a stand-up guy like Charles Barkley sets a good example for everybody of how to deal with a DUI, and get through and beyond it. Not easy because otherwise, what would people who blog about DUI talk about?
Ok, I suppose we can't separate the person from the event, but think of them like they are in character. After all, you probably don't really know them anyways. And most importantly, don't judge them.
California DUI thoughts of the day
Today I suppose I was on a roll blogging about California DUI issues. It just seems to me that such a large and complex state is due for some major changes. Any time that happens, it is typically not good for DUI defendants. I think people will rationalize that liberalism got California into the mess it is now in, and the backlash will come in the form of certain scapegoats. I think DUI will be one of them. For my other musings on the issue see:
California DUI Things To Ponder; and
Both posts are kind of random, but perhaps...
DUI Homicide Penalties
From state to state and county to county, DUI penalties are all over the map. Even more varied are the penalties for killing somebody while in the act of driving under the influence.
I recently reported on a California DUI case, Santa Cruz DUI Manslaughter Plea, where the guy got 8 years. Then there's the now infamous case of Stallworth and Miami DUI Pleas - Wealthy Person Style.
Is there a different set of DUI penalties for the rich and powerful? I posed this question more in depth in a post called Can Wealth Buy Better Results in DUI Cases?
Pensacola DUI Homicide - Bail Denied
Watch this case closely. My guess is that this will be a study in contrast to the sentence received by Mr. Stallworth (which I blogged about at Miami DUI Penalties - Wealthy Person Style).
No bond in DUI-death case | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal: "Christina Rivkin, 32, is charged in the death of Michael Steele, 25, who was struck while riding his bicycle to work at the Winn-Dixie grocery store at Nine Mile and Chemstrand roads about 11 p.m. June 10.
Escambia County Judge Thomas Johnson set Rivkin's bond at $500,000 last week. Circuit Judge Frank Bell on Tuesday agreed with a request by the State Attorney's Office to hold her until trial because she poses a danger to the community."
It is difficult to argue that a person on their third DUI (which resulted in a death) does not pose a danger to society.
How to tell your parents you got a DUI
So you got a DUI and now you are trying to figure out how to tell your parents?
You probably fall into one of two camps:
1) You need to tell them because you need help with your legal fees;
2) You feel a need to tell them because, well, that's how you cope, or feel better, or forgive yourself or whatever.
The first thing that you should do is evaluate yourself.
How old are you?
If you are under 21 it is probably a no brainer that you should tell them. You got a DUI before you are even old enough to drink, so you probably lack the emotional maturity to handle this by yourself. If this applied to you, just come right out and tell them. You don't need to make a special dinner or anything. You don't need to butter them up. Just come right out with it.
If you are over 21 you might think twice. You are probably trying to assert your independence from then as an adult. If this applies to you, you might consider growing up and trying to handle it on your own.
If you are over 30 years old and you are telling you parents for any kind of emotional or financial support, you might consider instead taking a good hard look in the mirror. Perhaps your parents or your relationship with them is part of the problem, not the solution. Perhaps it is time to cut the umbilical cord and take responsibility for yourself before you are 40 years old and living in their garage.
If you look at telling your parents as a sort of confessional, consider going to church, or synagog or mosque, get a shrink, go to some support group meetings, go get lost in the woods for a week and find yourself. I guarantee that if you are a legal adult and need to lean on mom or dad for this, then you have larger issues than the DUI arrest anyways.
Think about your parents.
What will the knowledge of your DUI arrest do to them? Will it hurt them? Is it better to spare them that pain?
Is it revenge?
Perhaps you somehow blame your parents for your DUI. What didn't they give you? Do you come from an alcoholic home? Do you want to hurt them with the knowledge of your DUI? If so, then you should tell them only after you are through it and safely on the other side. Your best revenge may be to succeed, and nothing says success under these circumstances better than getting through a major life obstacle without the help or guidance of your parents.
In a nutshell:
Evaluate why you want to tell your mom or dad about your DUI arrest. If your motives are pure and the good of telling them outweighs the bad, then just come right out and tell them. No sense in beating around the bush.
Seattle DUI Arrest: Minor is possession
According to the Seattle PI, a kid and his 20 year old passenger were heavily armed while he was being investigated for DUI.
Armed and drunk: Cops find AK-47 in crashed car: "A suspected drunken driving accident led to the arrest of a 17-year-old and his 20-year-old passenger after police found an AK-47, a 30-round magazine and a butterfly knife.
A few minutes before midnight, North Precinct and Port of Seattle patrol officers were dispatched to the 6200 block of Seaview Avenue Northwest, where two men were reported fleeing form a car.
Police say the 17-year-old driver crashed his black sedan into two parked cars. He hid in some bushes but not for long enough. He'd returned to the car before the officers arrived.
Along with the assault rifle, officers found two baseball bats and a red bandana in the back seat.
The 17-year-old was arrested for investigation of DUI and later also booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of the felony weapons possession.
His passenger was booked into King County Jail for investigation of the knife possession."
That's a lot of firepower, especially for an underage intoxicated person. Without knowing this kid's history, from personal experience I'd say this guy is in need of some love and an intervention more than prosecution.
I never understood why butterfly knives were illegal while other knives are not.
