WTF does it take?!?!

[BeatleFan]

I am so frustrated I could spit. My father-in-law is a raging alcoholic and has been most of his life (he's 65). I love the man with all my heart, but for obvious reasons, won't let my son go off with him unsupervised. The man just got his THIRD DUI. His first was in Minnesota, then he got two down here. With his first one here, he got fined. Now with his 2nd one, he got a 6 month license suspension, a candy-*** fine and community service. Does he HAVE to kill someone to get serious consequences? Last year his house burned to the ground as a result of drunks with cigarettes. I mean it is GONE. Over 40 years of memories shot to sh*t. His wife has left him, my hubby & son don't want anything to do with him. It's a sad situation, but I want to know why they don't lock his drunk *** up and throw away the key!

I'm not ragging on LEO's. You all probably want to **** nails when you hear of some drunk ******* walking away with a slap on the wrist. I really want to understand what the hell they are thinking when they let this jerk get away with this crap. This is why I could never be a cop. I'd have to just shoot the old fart.

OK...I've vented now. Please don't take offense.

[Mike Tx]

Well, the cops don't make the laws. Politicians who get down on their knees for liquor company money are the ones who pass these laws that let crime like you describe go on. Call your local congressthug for all the good it will do.

Personally I think the first dui should be a misdemeanor, but after your first chance you should be screwed.

[BeatleFan]

I realize the cops don't make the laws, Mike. I was asking because I am REALLY trying to understand and hoped that some cops here might be able to help me do so.

How many times does he have to go home with dents in his car that he doesn't remember geting? How many times is he going to be picked up for passing out on the side of the road? WHOSE ****ING KID DOES HE HAVE TO KILL?!?!

[Glockarmorer]

Your frustration is understandable, but you're only dealing with ONE drunk. Try dealing with the same drunks, the same dopers, the same wife beaters, the same thieves, the same burglars, the same SCUMBAGS day in and day out.

We have a revolving door criminal justice system plain and simple. You're venting to the choir! Fact of the matter is, he probably will have to kill someone before he sees any real time.

[drunkhunter]

DUI is still socially acceptable. Even when a drunk drivers kills someone, they aren't treated like other murderers. Of course the same is said of a lot of traffic fatalites, most of which are homicides. Don't worry about it though, it's just traffic.

[Metro174]

I do quite a bit of DWI enforcement and believe me this is not uncommon. I recently went to court for a 25 year old who also got charged with fleeing and eluding and CDS possession when I popped him. This was his third DWI and all he got was 30 days!!!!! I also went to court recently for an 18 year old my trainee caught. This was his second! He walked with a suspended sentence!!

I disagree with Mike in that we need more laws. The laws in this state are fine for DWI. What we need are judges who will impose the sentences that are already law. I can only name two or three judges that I enjoy going before. They are fair, listen to all facts and impose a decent sentence when it is warranted. Most are so so and a few, like the ones I had for these cases I dread going before. When I go to court and find out that they are sitting, I get myself prepared for a disappointment ahead of time.

[Mike Tx]

Needing more laws is wrong. We have enough laws, we just don't enough people willing to make the laws we do have woek.

[shooter1201]

If drunk driving was treated as a SERIOUS crime by the courts, Ted Kennedy would be rotting in jail.....

[Metro174]

Sorry Mike. Read ya in a hurry and misunderstood.

[Don]

quote:

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Originally posted by BeatleFan:
I was asking because I am REALLY trying to understand and hoped that some cops here might be able to help me do so.

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As you have seen, everyone here is in agreement with you. But as far as understanding goes, I don't see how you can hope to understand something that defies common sense. About the only thing that I can add to what has already been posted is this:

I realized, early in my career, that LE is nothing more than a game. In many cases of course, it is a game with serious consequences. However, it is still just a game. To be in this business for a full career, and to retire without having a heart attack, or ulcers or other serious physical stress related problems, you just can't look at this in any other light. It's a game.

There isn't a cop on this board who has not seen exactly what you are talking about, time and time again. The fact is, that there just is not always a solution to every problem.

[auntysuz63]

There is nothing more frustrating than the legal system whose hands are tied. Jails and prisons are overcrowded, so they release "nonviolent" offenders. The irony here is that those who die at the hands of a drunk driver do die a violent death, and that weapon was the car/truck he or shee was driving.

Personally, I think that the first DUI is a misd...granted everyone makes mistakes (I know it's a stretch, but work with me). After that it is considered a violent felony and there is NO county time. State time...no less than three or four years and no opp for parole in that time. If you don't get dried out and sober by then...well, at least you'll be off the road. And under no circumstances should anyone convicted of multiple drunk driving offenses ever get their driving priveliges back. Then, if they're caught driving on a DUI suspension, it's back to prison. I know a lot of people would say, "You're not giving the person the opportunity to change, to rehabilitate." "It's too harsh." Tell that to their victims.

Stiffer penalties and certainly no time off for good behavior. It's easy to have good behavior when you're deprived of the thing that causes your bad behavior, alcohol.