Easy Solution to DUI charges!

[photogrl2b]

A few thoughts from a former drinker and driver...

First of all let me start by saying I agree the laws for drunk driving should be more than they are...

I went out about 9 months ago and was lightly drinking, but enough so that I was pulled over and in all honesty I did not at the time feel I was impaired in anyway to not drive my car. I was pulled over and taken downtown and they charged me and all, and the same arresting cop took me back to my car, to find out it was broken into,(not at all an important issue considering the following events) I was told by this cop that he felt bad my car was broken into and told me he would have the charges dropped. (I believed him)Still not an important issue considering the following events. My point is, had they have put my ass in the same prison for 5 days and 4 nights like they did when I went out the very next night again and got stinking drunk I can promise on my beautiful daughters life that I would not have gotten picked up again the next night let alone had another drink to begin with. Again my point is this. When given the chance to file for an article 894 I declined it, for the simple fact that had they put me in jail the first night like they did the second night I would not have gotten arrested again the second night, when I woke up in the parish prison and realized what was going on and how much I had messed up and how damned lucky I was that I didn't kill anyone including my younger sister I had in my car the second night and myself with my shelfishness of wanting to party and drive and not thinking of anyone but myself at the time, That if my ass is stupid enough to go out again and drink and drive then I deserve what ever comes to me for doing it again.... I lost both of my jobs and a new Mustang that I hadn't even made a third payment on and not to mention all the money I had to spend on bail, fines, court cost and the many classes I was ordered to take. I've been on my own since I was 16 years old and have never gotten into any kind of trouble till then and I promise I will never be so stupid and ignorant again in my life. I am not an alcoholic I rarely ever went out (with 2 jobs and all it was almost impossible to do anything) But when I did boy have I ever paid a price for it. And most of all learned a very valuable lesson I WILL NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE AGAIN!!!! And as crazy as it sounds there is one good thing that has come out of this for me besides the good common sense of not drinking and driving,, While doing my Community Service at the YWCA I got to know the staff up there with the Family Violence Program and I am now a Volunteer even though my Community Service has been completed for months now. So please if you are in this site it is more than likely that you have been charged or picked up for drinking and driving I hope you will have learned a valuable lesson and will not be a repeat offender like I was, I am basically starting my life over and it certainly will not be by drinking and driving....
Please if you do drink call a friend or family member or a cab.... your life and others may depend on it.... Like this song I heard on the radio: I WISH THAT I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW

[Edited by photogrl2b on 06-15-2001 at 08:11 PM]

 

[MaddMom]

Photogrl2b,
Thank you so much for your honesty and your contribution to this discussion. It takes a very big person to admit to doing what you did and an even bigger person to learn from it.

I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason and I think it is wonderful that something good came out of your experience. Unfortunately some people have crashed and killed/injured someone their first time drinking and driving so I hope we can figure out a way to deter young people from learning the hard way, the first time out.

I would say you learned the "uneasy" way. The hard way would have been if you killed someone. Good thing you learned before a tragedy.

Well, congratulations on starting your life over before it was too late!
Have a good night!
MaddMom

 

[MaddMom]

What a complete idiot!!

cookpd_2000,

Are you really ignorant enough to say "people should keep to themselves?"

Hello, excuse me IT IS MY BUSINESS when I have to share the same roads with people who don't give a rat's ass how much they have had to drink!! I have four children who ride in vehicles every day and they are at risk every time they go anywhere! Driving IS definitely a privilege and if you abuse that privilege, you lose it!! That is absolutely fair and just.

If this world were run the way you would like, the crime rate would soar because "people should keep to themselves"
That has to be the most asinine thing anyone has ever said.

Well, I am not going to waste another second on you. You are not worth it to me. Go have a beer............
but DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!!!

MaddMom

 

[cowgirl15]

You know mom that is people like you who continue to perpetuate the lie. You talk about not wanting to share the road with people who drink but what about those who speed or run red lights or have a dozen at fault accidents in the last 5 years. All of these people kill. But their lives are not ruined. They are not charged with a criminal offense. They recieve a ticket in most all instances. Even when they kill. But let a drinking driver kill and suddenly it's a felony or possibly manslaughter. This issue is simply a cash cow for a buracracy that continues to act not in the publics best interest but in theirs. Fact; more traffic fatalities occur that are not alcohol related than those that are. Fact; Candace Lightner,founder of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, was opposed to lowering the legal limit to .08. "Half of the drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes have a bac of .17 or greater. Rather than putting our limited resources into laws that fail to address the real problem...". Fact; Many accidents reported as alcohol-related were not the drinkers fault. If you as a pedestrian are struck and killed in the intersection and had a drink first, this is an alcohol-related accident. Check out http://www.abionline.org/08_basics.htm and read this yourself. It is simply a means to increase the numbers in oreder to justify their position. But this is what people like you use to equaly justify yours. That doesn't make it right.

 

[MaddMom]

Some people just don't get it!!!

The last time I checked, this forum was called "Drunk Driving," hence the conversation on drunk driving!

Obviously the other criminals you mentioned are just as bad as drunk drivers and I have called the police more times for someone driving recklessly than I have for a suspected drunk!

Get this through your thick head, once and for all........
I AM NOT A MEMBER OF MADD! Why does everyone keep coming at me with MADD Stats after I told you I am not affiliated with them. I don't know the stats and I really don't care to because it would probably depress me. All I care about is the fact that people are dying on the roads because of drunks who don't care about the lives of my children or anyone else for that matter!! (And yes, because of speeders, cell phone users, teens, elderly, etc. etc. Just to support my comment on the elderly, there is a man in my town who has caused 4 accidents in the last 2 years and he is still allowed to drive!!)

Nothing you say and nothing anyone else here can say will take away the facts. I don't care whether it is 1 person a year that dies from a result of DUI or 1,000. If 1 dies then it is too many. Did I make myself clear this time???
Why are some of you so eager to defend the rights of criminals? Is it because you are one or know someone who is?

This is my bottom line:
IF YOU DRINK AND DRIVE, SPEED, USE A CELLPHONE WHILE DRIVING, PASS IN A NO-PASSING ZONE, OR OTHERWISE BREAK THE TRAFFIC LAWS, YOU ARE THE SCUM AT THE BOTTOM OF A POND!!!!
GOT IT? GOOD!!!

MaddMom
ps You're busted!! I just read through your article and it just happens to be written by ABI which just happens to mean "American Beverage Institute" which just happens to be a group of restaurants that serve alcohol!! Gee, could there be an alterior motive there?? HHHMMM, I wonder about that. I would also wonder about their facts! Talk about distorting the facts in their favor! You act like it is so difficult to NOT drink and drive. Who cares what the damn legal BAC is? Just don't have anything to drink before you drive and this conversation will become useless!!!! Is this rocket science or something?

A. alcohol
B. driving
A AND B DON'T MIX!! Is that a little easier for you understand?



[Edited by MaddMom on 06-17-2001 at 09:21 AM]

 

[cookpd_2000]

Settle down!!!!!

Miss Madd,

You have four children, Right? Is one of them a boy per chance? I can't wait until graduation day from college or high school. Your son decides to have a few brewsky's and finds out his date may want to go get a room. Do you think he's gonna call you for a ride? Nope, In his car he goes and gets nailed for DUI ( I would never wish such a harsh conviction on anyone ). I would bet a million dollars you would be fighting in court to keep your son out of jail. I'm sure you preach at home about this stupid thing people do, DRINK AND DRIVE. Then you come on here and act like the people who were nailed are complete idiots. Well I hope you know you are calling the President of the United States an idiot as well!! I'm not trying to cause trouble, just trying to get across my side of the story. And thank you Cowgirl for seeing the light. DUI in most all cases is a money generated scandle for the government! PERIOD! Instead of using the money to upgrade the police dept. why not put breathalizers in all bars or just close all bars. This would eliminate DUI's instead of promoting them. As far as people keeping to themselves I still stand by that. Did you hear about the guy who lit a cigarette in a movie theatre in San Francisco. A bunch of people complained. The staff called the cops. The nut case pulled out a knife and the police shot him. If the people would just let him finish his cigarette ( which only lasts 5 min. in a big open space ) nobody would have been hurt. This forum is for advice for all people and if it was just for folks against DUI's nothing would be posted. Let the site go to help out people and if you don't like it start your own complaint site. Leave us be Madd Mother!

 

[MaddMom]

YOU DEFINATELY DON'T KNOW ME!!

I have two sons and I will teach them responsibility, and hopefully they will learn but if they don't, I would NEVER bail my kid out if they are at fault! How are they supposed to learn from that? That is half the problem with the young people today. Parents that are always there to bail them out so they never learn to take responsibility for their actions. You must have had parents like that if you are advocating that kind of behavior! And as for your comment that says "I would never wish such a harsh conviction on anyone" ...... If they don't DRINK AND DRIVE, they won't get a conviction at all!! If you drink and drive you deserve everything you have coming to you!! I hope it costs you everything you have!!! That's called taking responsibility for your own actions!!!! Don't like it then don't DRINK AND DRIVE!!

And as far as the smoking in the theatre? What about people who have asthma. My three yr old has severe asthma and "ONE CIGARETTE FOR 5 MINUTES" would have killed him!! And furthermore, if you can't see that this guy went to the movie theatre with a knife with the intention of causing trouble, then you are clueless! Obviously he lit the cigarette in the hopes that it would cause a scene so he could flip out and pull his knife. Maybe he was suicidal and wanted the police to come and shoot him? You don't know. I have seen stories like that many times. If no one complained I am sure he would have found another way to do it!!

Do you advocate closing your eyes to child abuse and spousal abuse and what if you witness a car jacking? Just turn around and walk away because you should keep to yourself? God you are pathetic!! Yes, I do call our President an idiot and a criminal! I certainly did not vote for him!!!


This particular forum is titled "Drunk Driving" are you blind?

[Edited by MaddMom on 06-18-2001 at 11:20 AM]

 

[cookpd_2000]

Okay,

I did not have parents that bailed me out all of the time. I did get a DUI when I was eighteen and did my time, however it still haunts me today. You are taking my point of minding your own business to extremes. There are times when being a taddle tail is needed, however Telling on everything is absurd. For instance, my six year old constantly is telling, and I get mad at her for telling on certain things. I don't need to be told all of the time that her friend called her a name. On the other hand if her friend hits her, than it is a good time to tell. So you say you did not vote for mister Bush and he is an idiot. God please help us if you voted for Gore. He is a pot head, which is better the pot head or one time Drunk Driver? hmmmmm. Anyway this is not a political forum, thank God cause you and I would probably really be going at it. Just one thing your probably for abortion, the slaughter of millions of babys, but against DUI for that one person that gets killed. Furthermore, i'm not condoning DUI i'm just trying to get it through to you that it is looked at as bad as murder. And if your child does get a DUI I hope you don't let him sit in prison or jail with some real murderer. Cause that were these DUI convictions are going within the next ten years.

Have an awesome Monday!!!

 

[MaddMom]

Wrong again!!

I am sort of mixed on the issues. Some of my beliefs are considered republican and others democratic. For intance, I am not for abortion. I am absolutely vehemently opposed to it actually. I think it is sick that woman use it as birth control!

I think who I voted for is sort of irrelevant to this conversation but I will enlighten you anyway! I did vote for Gore and let me explain briefly why.......... I have been following his career for a long time and he is, in my opinion genuine in his heart. Yes, sure he has made mistakes and so haven't you and so haven't I. No one is immune. However, at his very core he is an honest, loving, caring man. Whether you believe that or not doesn't matter because I know it's true. He loves his wife and his family and he genuinely cares about people who need to be cared about. My opinion of Bush, I don't think you want to know but here goes anyway... I think his top priority is to always "one-up" his poor brother and to make his rich friends even richer! I can't even stand to hear him talk because he sounds like such an idiot!

Ooops, I did it, I got into a political discussion! Sorry back to the issue. I think I have said all that I can say about it except one thing....... You said that DUI's are being treated like murders but they are murders if someone dies! So if no one dies, it's ok that they were drinking and driving? What if no one died in the Oklahoma bombing? Would that mean that Timothy McVeigh shouldn't have been treated harshly? Every time someone gets behind the wheel after drinking, they are taking the risk of killing an innocent person. It's almost what I would call "attempted murder by negligence"

Well, I have work to do! Have an awesome Monday yourself!!

 

[Rice]

I have just read everyone's concerns and debates on this subject. I only have a few things to say. One people have been drinking for years and nothing was ever said until accidents statics were beening posted and then debates broke out. I have even heard from someone that drunk drivers have killed more people then people that have fought in wars and have died, which is way wrong and way overboard. I think people can drink responsibly and drive. For instance, I think that if you go to dinner and drink one glass of wine and then sit there for an additional hour drinking water or coke that your ability to drive would be just fine. I do think it is wrong to drive when you can not walk a straight line but I think that is were a mature judgement should be made. But I think that there are more idiots drive a car that should not have there license and more old people that can not see then there are drunk drivers. Maddmom, you may not have drank and drive or you may not have used a cell phones and drove but how many times have you put on make-up in the car or how many times have you paid more attention yelling at your kids then driving or how many times have you forgotten to look over your shoulder before changing lanes. Don't feed me the line that you don't break the traffic laws, because I am sure that you broken a few in your life time whether you know it or not. You can not honestly say that you have not gone one mile over the speed limit, if you can say that your husband must be doing all the driving. You are just as much to blame for car wrecks then the next person. You should not judge other people for their decisions they make. Instead of putting down people for their decision they make, why don't you just advice people to make the right decision, you would be suprise how much positive feed back you would get. By the way you will never know what kind of decision you will make when it is your child in trouble. If honestly think that you will leave your child in jail, think again when it come to your child it is a mother's tuition to protect her child from harm. And you know as well as I do that jail is a terrible place for rap and abuse. As far as pdcook, I hope you have learned a lesson on drink and driving and the responsiblity of making the right decision on your limits and how far is to far. I don't think it is right for cops to be sitting outside of a bar and arresting someone for sleeping the alcohol off in the car. I would rather have a person get in a car, knowing that they are not able to drive and making a decision to sleep it off then for them to get in the car and try to drive because they feel they will get busted anyway. If a cop is sitting outside a bar or if a cop is in the bar scooping out the place, my question to him is what the hell is he doing there in the first place having a beer. I think there is enough crime in the city to keep them busy. Signing off

 

[MaddMom]

This is getting very old!!

Rice,

FYI, I was in a very bad car crash when I was 10 years old and I almost lost my mother and ever since getting my license, I have been an extremely safe driver. I got a 100% on my driving test and I still follow those laws every day!
I am scared to death of getting into another car crash so it has made me a very cautious driver. (not to menion an annoying "back seat driver" to my husband!) I don't speed, I don't pull out in front of people, I don't change lanes without signaling and I don't even pass in passing lanes unless the person I am passing is going extremely slow and I can see for at least 1/2 mile with NO cars coming. And I certainly don't put on makeup in the car. That is what my bathroom is for! I do not turn around and yell at my kids while I am driving either. If there is a problem, I pull over and deal with it. My kids know I will stop even if it means being late somewhere so they know to behave in the car. My motto is "Better late than dead!"

If my child knowingly commits a crime, and they have to spend time in jail, then so be it. That is their consequence! As a mother of four, I have already had to make some very tough decisions in order to allow my child to learn but I believe it is for the best. I will NOT bail my child out! It's called "Tough Love" and it works!

I can't believe another person suggested "drinking and driving responsibly" What is wrong with you people? You talk as though people are "entitled" to drink and drive and that it is a major cramp in your style if you can't drink and drive! This conversation is beginning to give me ulcers so I am going to find people with more intelligence than a rock to discuss this with!
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE! IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT!
IF YOU CONTINUE TO DRINK AND DRIVE, YOU ARE A CRIMINAL WHETHER YOU LIKE TO SEE IT THAT WAY OR NOT!!

[Edited by MaddMom on 06-19-2001 at 02:41 PM]

 

[Rice]

Who die and made you god? Simple fact you should not judge people, your letters of anger are offending people instead of helping them. IF YOU TRUELY WANT TO HELP PEOPLE STICK WITH ADVISE INSTEAD OF PREACHING. Everybody screws up once in a while even you miss perfect. Every car wreck that I have ever been in was because of someone own stupidity of not watching what they were doing and drinking alcohol was not an involvement. This is a winning battle, no one will ever win this battle because everyone has there own believes. I don't agree with drinking and driving by any means, but I am not going to tell the drunk to stay off the road, instead I could offer him or her a ride or a place to stay. Your approach is wrong. It appears that this subject angers you to know end, it is apparent that you have been down this road with someone or otherwise you would not be looking at this site. I will admit, I am going down this road with someone I love but instead of ripping him a new one, I tell them my concerns and offer help and ride. How much time have you spent with an alcoholic? Before you judge these people, why don't you get to know them first and find out there reasoning for drinking the way they do? Because of the ignorance of people ripping and ridiculing the people at fault instead of helping them, with the problem, they should sit down and shut up. You have not lived there life nor do you acted like you care about them, you are just on this website looking for a fight. Get a life. I look on this website for people that honestly trying to make changes and improve their problem. I am looking a advice and how to live with an alcoholic and how to cure them from the disease or live style. Drinking and driving stupiditly is wrong but so is getting on this website and protraying that you are a perfect being and no alcoholic is better than you. Take your fight somewhere else. Does anybody on this website, have advise for living with an alcoholic and trying to help them besides the perfect maddmom?

 

[Rice]

You do honestly think that alcoholic go to the bar thinking tonights the night I drink and drive. They go to the bar to drink not thinking about the ride home or the consequents later. They can not help that, the only thing on their mind is when is my next drink. They think that drinking helps them with all their problems. Maddmom, instead of posting a page that said not drink and drive why don't you start a webpage that supports and encourages alcoholics from drinking in the first place. They need people to listen to them and they need someone to talk to about their problems and they need someone this help them with the problem, that is prevention on drinking and driving. This webpage or message you starts is starting war you can not fight. You can not tell an alcoholic not to drive a car without fight their addiction first.

 

[kelly1]

I do think there are times when a person feels that they have no choice but to drive. Even if hindsight tells them it was a bad choice...because of what they thought was medical necessity etc. However, I do believe it should be a crime in general to drink & drive period regardless of how much. The problem, that I see, that there are hundreds of thousands of attorneys out there that protect the multiple offender...they advertise for it...they tell the offender to refuse tests etc. Therefore, the MAD mothers, judges, citizens are mad and taking REVENGE on the first time offenders. I'm in NO WAY saying any offense is okay or acceptible, but what's going on with the multiple offenders that just STOP cooperating with police and REFUSE the tests? NOTHING HAPPENS TO THEM IN REGARDS TO DUI/DWI!

 

[FKNA]

Kelly1...you are highly misinformed that nothing happens if one refuses to takes these tests. You are also misinformed if you think our law enforcement is not corrupt. Let me tell you a little story...7 years ago I got my last dwi (before they lowered the limit to .08%). I was arrested, took the breathalyzer and blew a .086% the first time and .084% the second time, which was UNDER the legal limit at the time. Guess what, the officer mysterious came up with a print out that said .11%

That was seven years ago and I haven't had a drop to drink since. But wait, there's more to the story. Saturday night the wife and I were out on the lake fishing. Around 1am we started to get hungry so we returned to the docks. After docking a Game Warden asked if I had anything to drink. I had not. He gave me a field sobriety test. I passed that test and went to my truck to get a grill, returned to the boat docks and started cooking. He came and got me again and gave yet another field sobriety test, another one which I had passed. I returned to the dock, finished cooking, returned the grill back to the truck, returned back to the dock and started eating. Again he comes gets me, this time he want's me to give a breathalyzer. This is 45 minutes later.....been out of his site on many occassions...by this time, it's turning into harrassment. I refused the breathalyzer and off to jail I went. The officer did NOT have any probably cause to give me the first field sobriety test, the second test nor the breathalyzer.

So you are wrong when you think nothing happens to those that refuse the test. And you are wrong if one thinks those tests cannot be manipulated.