Oregon DUI Arrest Records: Hope for the falsely arrested

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Dan Jaffe
A DUI arrest is devastating. It is terrible if you were actually guilty, but it is beyond imaginable if you are innocent if zealous and unethical police officers and prosecutors insist on prosecuting you anyways. In Oregon DUI cases, up till now, even a false DUI arrest stays on your record. The Oregon Legislature is working on a new law that would allow people who were wrongly arrested for DUI in Oregon to clear their good names.

Bill would let people clear false DUI arrests | StatesmanJournal.com | Statesman Journal: "Existing law bars people from having the records of an arrest expunged if it was for a state or municipal traffic offense, including drunken driving, even if the driver was never prosecuted and the charge was dropped. The bill is a response to complaints arising in Corvallis in 2007, when a police officer arrested at least four drivers for driving under the influence even though they proved to be sober. At least two false-arrest lawsuits were filed against Corvallis. The officer resigned, moved to Idaho and started a private-investigation company, specializing in helping clients defend themselves in DUI cases, the Albany Democrat-Herald reported. Last week, all 60 House members voted to pass the bill, HB 2318. It now is in the Senate. Rep. Andy Olson of Albany sponsored the bill."

(Via .)

It's unthinkable that this isn't the law in every corner and crack of the United States. After all "innocent unless proven guilty, right?" Perhaps there is an exception that society has been willing to make for drunk driving cases.
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