Our own worst enemies??? DUI conviction w/death = PROBATION?!?? (San Antonio: how much, lawyer)

[Labamigo]

When we hear the stories about a body found along the south side or somewhere, do you ever wonder if that was a former drunk driver who killed someone and "got probation"? I do.

[3 classical l3]

Originally Posted by pfil

tried to do a google search because i remember my father talking about joints like this when he made business trips to houston back in the 80s , found nothing but in shreveport .

Must not have looked closely.


BeerNAll-0610.wmv - YouTube

here is a commercial for one that gives you step by step instructions on how to use their service.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by TexasRedneck

Okay....gotta ask - HOW in the blazes does a jury convict a guy on DUI charges in an incident that results in the DEATH of a poor guy who's only "crime" is driving down the road....and then give the jerk probation?!??

I swear, I just don't get it - how in the WORLD can that possibly be a punishment that fits the crime?!?? There was another case where a guy shot someone, the victim lived - but HE got 35 YEARS IN PRISON.

Whoever served on that jury.....you are as guilty as the DUI driver in my eyes - and when he goes out and does it again, in my mind YOU should be right there with him to face the charges.

Now, that's in the paper today....and yet no one has said a word here. Are ya'll THAT accustomed to folks getting away with murder?!??

TRN:

I am 100% with you on this. He should have never got probation after he was found guilty.

He should be in prison.

[Primo]

They truth is, the city, state, and feds could care less about DWI. If they really wanted to curb it, they could, but there is too much money to be made off DWI. They all want to be reactive, after the fact instead of preventing it. Obviously being arrested/fines/jail time is not reducing the problem or deaths. Something else has to be done.

The Feds - while they cant control state laws like DWI, but they sure can influence them. Remember how all state HWY funding would be cut if the states didnt pass seatbelt law (& I think the drinking age to 21).

The State/TABC - the #1 entity that could reduce the DWI problem, but they spending their time make up ridiculous obscure laws about advertising alcohol, (like you cant have a picture of a drink on a banner outside a bar). If the state and TABC REALLY wanted to curb DWI they could do the following:
- Require all liqour license holder to having a breathalyzer at their door. So people leaving could check themselves BEFORE getting into a car.
- Require a wrist ban when you come into a bar..and have a 4 drink maximum. The bartender would punch the wrist band with every drink. Of course some people would get around this, enforcing a 4 drink max would be a step in the right direction.
- Outlaw "Roadies"..the individual beers you can buy at an ice house..Texas is one of the last states in the union where these are legal. Why are they outlawed...because it has been proven these contribute to DWI. And besides, open containers are now outlawed in Texas.

City/SAPD - Change last call to midnight or 1:00. It was 1:00 where I went to college and it wasnt the end of the world. What is the actual % of DWI that are caused by Bars or by someone drinking at home then going out.
For things like fiesta, why do they not post more police at the park & rides and have them passing out PI when people get off the bus and BEFORE they get in their cars. Why cant they use the 4 drink ticket at the Taste of the northside for NIOSA/Oyster bake? On that topic, we had how many hundreds of DWIs during fiesta...was any action taken against the beer booths at any of these events? Someone overserved them. Too much money to be made off beer sales during fiesta.

There will always be DWI and people will always bend the rules, but doesnt everyone think there could be some SMARTER laws & enforcement on the books that are preventitive? The objective should be to save life & limb not rack up arrests and fines.

[pfil]

Originally Posted by 3 classical l3

Must not have looked closely.



here is a commercial for one that gives you step by step instructions on how to use their service.

nah see i was talking about one of those margarita joints where you could drive up , get a margarita and drive off .

[3 classical l3]

Originally Posted by pfil

nah see i was talking about one of those margarita joints where you could drive up , get a margarita and drive off .

So I guess you did not watch the 30 second commercial I posted where they show you frozen drinks in disposable cups served with a straw.

Glad to know you pay no attention at all.

[pfil]

Originally Posted by 3 classical l3

So I guess you did not watch the 30 second commercial I posted where they show you frozen drinks in disposable cups served with a straw.

Glad to know you pay no attention at all.

there were dames .

[Primo]

Beer N All...is able to serve those mixed drinks to you in your car through a loop hole. From what I understand, they make your drink and then it is heat sealed in a plastic bag so it is no longer an open container.

[The Black Irish]

I bet they took into account he was former military. I am not excusing what he did b/c it is atrocious but what WAS this jury doing? And those drive thru liquor stores have been around forever. We used to go them up in San Marcos during college. We did however wait until we got home to drink some margaritas. Responsibility son.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by Primo

They truth is, the city, state, and feds could care less about DWI. If they really wanted to curb it, they could, but there is too much money to be made off DWI. They all want to be reactive, after the fact instead of preventing it. Obviously being arrested/fines/jail time is not reducing the problem or deaths. Something else has to be done.

The Feds - while they cant control state laws like DWI, but they sure can influence them. Remember how all state HWY funding would be cut if the states didnt pass seatbelt law (& I think the drinking age to 21).

The State/TABC - the #1 entity that could reduce the DWI problem, but they spending their time make up ridiculous obscure laws about advertising alcohol, (like you cant have a picture of a drink on a banner outside a bar). If the state and TABC REALLY wanted to curb DWI they could do the following:
- Require all liqour license holder to having a breathalyzer at their door. So people leaving could check themselves BEFORE getting into a car.
- Require a wrist ban when you come into a bar..and have a 4 drink maximum. The bartender would punch the wrist band with every drink. Of course some people would get around this, enforcing a 4 drink max would be a step in the right direction.
- Outlaw "Roadies"..the individual beers you can buy at an ice house..Texas is one of the last states in the union where these are legal. Why are they outlawed...because it has been proven these contribute to DWI. And besides, open containers are now outlawed in Texas.

City/SAPD - Change last call to midnight or 1:00. It was 1:00 where I went to college and it wasnt the end of the world. What is the actual % of DWI that are caused by Bars or by someone drinking at home then going out.
For things like fiesta, why do they not post more police at the park & rides and have them passing out PI when people get off the bus and BEFORE they get in their cars. Why cant they use the 4 drink ticket at the Taste of the northside for NIOSA/Oyster bake? On that topic, we had how many hundreds of DWIs during fiesta...was any action taken against the beer booths at any of these events? Someone overserved them. Too much money to be made off beer sales during fiesta.

There will always be DWI and people will always bend the rules, but doesnt everyone think there could be some SMARTER laws & enforcement on the books that are preventitive? The objective should be to save life & limb not rack up arrests and fines.

Moderator cut: not permitted

On another front, however, I have questions about last call being at 2 AM or 1 AM. Is that really going to affect DWIs? Wouldn't some people just try to drink even more & make the problem worse? I'm a night-shifter, so sometimes I'm up all night & it's nice to go to a bar and kill some time 'til closing time with some friends on the weekend nights off. Or even the weekday nights off!

And no, I'm not a drunk-driving maniac. The farthest I've ever driven drunk was from a parking lot to a street parking spot at 5 mph because the establishment kicked all cars out. You have NO idea how tense I was....I was incredibly careful. Never doing that again.

I've encountered the effects of drunk driving just as much as anyone else here: I've come up to still-smoking wrecks, I've encountered wrong-way drivers, I've seen cars weaving all over 410. I know the reality of the situation and I respect/lament it. But I think there is such a thing as going too far in one direction in the name of "safety". Sometimes these efforts can backfire.

What do I personally think is the solution? I think we need tougher sentences & public education campaigns. The 4-drink maximum rules with wristbands are also not a bad idea, but that'll cut into bars' revenues. Not sure how to fix that.

It's a tough situation, that's for sure.