Harrisonburg Lawyer says government DUI policy failed policy
8. July 2008 by admin.
I read the headline Men face fifth, eighth DWI charges and I wonder if the media and the government realize that this is an indictment of how government has mishandled this problem.
There is an old saying, “Nothing succeeds in government like failure.” The more government fails to address the cause of a problem the worse it gets and the more taxpayer money government can extract.The article goes on to say that two men from Black River Falls have netted their fifth and eighth drunk driving charges. David M. Schmidt got his fifth DWI charge which is a felony in
Wisconsin. Mike R. Smith received his eighth DWI, also a felony.
Smith was stopped for loud exhaust and a loose license plate. When stopped Smith smelled of an alcoholic beverage, initially denied drinking but them admitted to drinking several beers. Smith apparently exhibited no signs of impaired driving whatsoever. Smith refused to blow in the box to establish his blood alcohol level so police chained his arms together behind his back and took him to have his vein punctured and blood taken from his body.
Blowing in the box is said to be voluntary but if you don’t do it police will forcibly take your blood. Smith was driving revoked and had two out of state DWI convictions as well as two in
Jackson county. Smith faces 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine for the drunk driving charge.
Schmidt was stopped after a complaint of a possibly intoxicated driver. He was stopped for driving 74 miles per hour, speeding. Apparently Schmidt also showed no signs of impaired driving as observed by law enforcement. The trooper indicated that Schmidt smelled of intoxicants, had bloodshot watery eye, was confused, exhibited slurred speech and lacked good coordination. Schmidt failed the roadside gymnastics and was arrested.
Two of Schmidt’s previous DWI convictions were in Jackson
County.
Schmidt faced six years in prison and a fine of $10,000.These men have been through the system repeatedly to no avail. They are apparently hard core alcoholics who will drive despite the negative consequences … of course people killing themselves slowly with alcohol abuse are probably not very adept at recognizing negative consequences. The state knows who these people are yet insists on a catch, hold for a while, get sober and release policy. Why not simply spend the billions of dollars devoted to incarceration and DUI enforcement on helping alcoholics like Smith and Schmidt save their lives? What about a 24/7 probation officer driving them to jobs and counseling sessions? Why let them live on the public dole in jail when they could be working and improving their lives?
Because government is force; because government thinks it is good with a hammer so every problem is a nail. We cannot afford this failed strategy to continue.
Our firm represents people caught in the government’s DUI Enforcement net on DUI charges in Harrisonburg Virginia; Staunton Virginia; Luray Virginia; Waynesboro Virginia; Rockingham
County
Virginia;
Augusta
County
Virginia;
Page
County
Virginia. See our websites:
www.BobKeeferLaw.com;
www.recklessdriving.net;
www.duidriver.net;
www.keefercard.com; or call at 540 433-6906.
Bob@BobKeeferLaw.com