May 2008 - Posts

• How to Get Busted for DUI: Marry a DUI Lawyer

  A promising new tactic in the “War on Drunk Driving”:  Go after the lawyers….or their wives. Arrested for DUI Without Drinking a Drop of Alcohol Phoenix, AZ.  May 29 – Heather Squires was the designated driver. Never exactly a fun thing, but a college buddy of her husband’s was driving up from Tucson to celebrate his acceptance into law [...] Posted May 30 2008, 09:26 AM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• Breathalyzers: Accurate Beyond a Reasonable Doubt?

  I’ve written repeatedly in the past about the inaccuracy and unreliability of the various breath machines used to estimate blood alcohol concentrations.  See, for example, How Breathalyzers Work (and Why They Don’t), Why Breathalyzers Don’t Measure Alcohol and Breathalyzer Inaccuracy: Testing During the Absorptive State.   Yet, our MADD-influenced laws increasingly ignore scientific evidence and rely upon these machines to [...] Posted May 28 2008, 11:21 AM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• “We do not want a police state…in the name of DUI”

  The following is from a presiding justice’s dissenting opinion in a Pennsylvania appellate decision affirming a DUI conviction: I must vigorously dissent from the well-written opinion of the majority, as it seems we are coming perilously close to turning a blind eye to questionable conduct by our police officers. While I acknowledge that our police officers [...] Posted May 27 2008, 11:15 AM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• Judge Throws Out 49 Breath Tests

  An Arizona judge threw out the breath tests in 49 drunk driving cases yesterday….because the manufacturer refuses to let the defense look into its machines.  Thank god for a few honest and gutsy judges still left….  I have posted in the past about a battle being fought in courts across the country — notably in Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey [...] Posted May 20 2008, 05:52 PM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• First DUI = West Point Expulsion + One Year Prison

  I mentioned in my previous post how new statistics show that millions of Americans admit to having driven with .08% blood-alcohol in the previous month.  As Draconian as DUI penalties have become, one would nevertheless hope that the offense would not destroy the accused’s life, at least for a first offense.  Increasingly, one would be wrong… Cadet Gets Confinement, Dismissal [...] Posted May 16 2008, 02:06 PM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• New Statistics: 9% of You Drove “Drunk” Last Month

  What do you do when literally millions of American citizens admit to violating a law on a regular basis — say, at least once a month?  How do you catch that many?  How do you build enough jails?  Or is it time to maybe take a second look at that law?     Study: 9% of Us Admit to Drunk Driving U.S.A. Today  [...] Posted May 14 2008, 06:56 PM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• DUI – While Walking a Bicycle

  I’ve posted in the past about the insanity of extending the reach of drunk driving laws in MADD’s attempted return to the glory days of Prohibition.  See, for example, Felony Bicycle DUI, DUI on a Scooter, DUI on a Foot-High Toy Bike, DUI in a Wheelchair? and DUI on a Horse?. Where are we going with all of [...] Posted May 09 2008, 10:11 AM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• The Truth About Ignition Interlock Devices

  For the past year now, MADD has trumpeted its latest solution to the drunk driving problem.  After 13 years of essentially unchanged DUI-related fatality statistics (they have actually increased), MADD is now promising in its recent solicitations for money (average $52 million a year) that their latest weapon will “eliminate drunk driving once and for all”.  And in recent press releases, [...] Posted May 06 2008, 09:02 AM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog

• Of Hypocrites and DUI

  Just the most recent example of the hypocrisy of MADD’s “War on Drunk Driving”…. Texas Lawmaker Who Created $3000 DUI Fine Gets a DUIAustin, TX.  May 2 — A Texas state lawmaker instrumental in the passage of legislation increasing penalties on drunk drivers was himself arrested late Wednesday for driving while intoxicated (DUI). Texas State House Transportation Chairman [...] Posted May 03 2008, 09:55 PM by DUI BLOG Filed under: Duiblog