If you were the judge, what would your sentence be for 1st time DUI offenders?

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Suspended License and a week in jail. Too serious to mess around with.

That's "serious"?

 

[Squirrel!!!]

My brother was killed by a drunk driver, so I am prone to go with the lock 'em up and throw away the key mentality, but that is not helpful.

I agree with the thoughts of 100-200 hours of community service and the posters who suggested in areas where the offender sees firsthand the "fruits" of the offense would be fitting. But picking up trash would be fine too. Heavy fines and a mandatory jail time. Losing the license too.

I am horrified by the number of people who are out there doing it again and again.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

My brother was killed by a drunk driver, so I am prone to go with the lock 'em up and throw away the key mentality, but that is not helpful.

I agree with the thoughts of 100-200 hours of community service and the posters who suggested in areas where the offender sees firsthand the "fruits" of the offense would be fitting. But picking up trash would be fine too. Heavy fines and a mandatory jail time. Losing the license too.

I am horrified by the number of people who are out there doing it again and again.

I'm more disgusted by the judges who let them go again and again and again and again...... IMO, those judges should go to jail if one of these folks goes out and kills somebody.

 

[Squirrel!!!]

I'm more disgusted by the judges who let them go again and again and again and again...... IMO, those judges should go to jail if one of these folks goes out and kills somebody.

Good point, how do they sleep at night? The drunk driver who killed my brother had injured, but not killed another person several years before.

 

[Aisling]

1. Minimum jail sentence of at least 30 days and loss of license for 2 years.
2. Once driver is out of jail they must display sticker on license plate indicating they are a DUI offender (similar to Kyleigh's Law in NJ for new drivers). They must also breathe into a machine before operating his/her car and if caught in another vehicle, it's back to jail.
3. If they injure of kill another person while driving while intoxicated, they are charged with attempted murder (or murder).
I know this list is harsh (and difficult to maintain for police officers)...but it's a wish list!!

I agree with all of this. I'd just add community service taking care of DUI victims. They need to SEE the pain these victims and families go through because of their terrible choice to drive drunk.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Good point, how do they sleep at night? The drunk driver who killed my brother had injured, but not killed another person several years before.

I wonder if anybody actually has sued a judge for this?

If they won, I bet some judges might change the way they do business.

I remember a story about a guy in the Philly area with 22 DIUs. And one judge let him out 15 of those times. The judge needs a life sentence.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

You can't file a lawsuit against a judge because of a ruling. That's absurd. If the judge is engaged in some sort of illegal behavior or bribe scandal, then you can find a prosecutor to file criminal charges.

Oh, I bet you can... you can file a suit against anybody.... whether it goes to court is a whole different ball of wax.

I would call it criminal negligence.

Now the question is, whose alt are you?

 

[NHdisneylover]

I think this needs to be taken much more seriously than it is.

I also agree that the overcrowded jail cells are an issue and I like the idea someone had to do one week in jail so they at least get a taste for what it could be like. With that in mind I'll say:

1 week in jail.

Loss of license for 5 years. I also think we should check for this more than we do and driving without a license should have big penalties and driving without a license because it was removed for DUI should have stiffer penalties than other driving w/o charges. I also think that anyone who has lost a license for legal reasons should not be allowed to keep a car registered in their name. Either find someone you know and trust to sign it over to, sell it, or else the government can impound it and store it until you are allowed to drive again. That would make it harder to drive anyway.

416 hours of community service. That is one 8 hour day per week for a year. It should have to be served in one year plus a few weeks leeway to get it set up. NO time off for vacations or other things.

Mandatory course of some sort which is set up to teach about the consequences of drunk driving and includes video footage of accents, interviews with victims, a visit to a morgue and other serious, real life deterrents. I think this course should be about 25 hours and should have to be completed within 6 months of conviction.

Between having to figure out how to get places without a car, the community service hours and the course work hours the offender will have very little free time for at least the first 6 months to a year. I think that is a good thing.
Someone brought up possible job loss if someone cannot drive. Honestly, I feel that is a risk you take if you chose to drive drunk and I do not feel badly about it at all.

That's "serious"?

I'm more disgusted by the judges who let them go again and again and again and again...... IMO, those judges should go to jail if one of these folks goes out and kills somebody.

Oh, I bet you can... you can file a suit against anybody.... whether it goes to court is a whole different ball of wax.

I would call it criminal negligence.

Now the question is, whose alt are you?

OP--I thought you said you didn't want any discussion??!!!! LOL you sure are picking up on a lot of detials you DO want to discuss!

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I think this needs to be taken much more seriously than it is.

I also agree that the overcrowded jail cells are an issue and I like the idea someone had to do one week in jail so they at least get a taste for what it could be like. With that in mind I'll say:

1 week in jail.

Loss of license for 5 years. I also think we should check for this more than we do and driving without a license should have big penalties and driving without a license because it was removed for DUI should have stiffer penalties than other driving w/o charges. I also think that anyone who has lost a license for legal reasons should not be allowed to keep a car registered in their name. Either find someone you know and trust to sign it over to, sell it, or else the government can impound it and store it until you are allowed to drive again. That would make it harder to drive anyway.

416 hours of community service. That is one 8 hour day per week for a year. It should have to be served in one year plus a few weeks leeway to get it set up. NO time off for vacations or other things.

Mandatory course of some sort which is set up to teach about the consequences of drunk driving and includes video footage of accents, interviews with victims, a visit to a morgue and other serious, real life deterrents. I think this course should be about 25 hours and should have to be completed within 6 months of conviction.

Between having to figure out how to get places without a car, the community service hours and the course work hours the offender will have very little free time for at least the first 6 months to a year. I think that is a good thing.
Someone brought up possible job loss if someone cannot drive. Honestly, I feel that is a risk you take if you chose to drive drunk and I do not feel badly about it at all.







OP--I thought you said you didn't want any discussion??!!!! LOL you sure are picking up on a lot of detials you DO want to discuss!

Well, like I said, I knew they would discuss.... might as well be part of it.

 

[golfgal]

I don't agree with jail time only because it costs tax payers a LOT of money, house arrest with the exception of going to work-BUT they have to wear their ankle monitor and BRIGHT shirt that say something about the DWI. Lots and lots of community service in a very public place, wearing the same bright shirt. I like the idea of part of the community service working with accident victims (even if they aren't DWI victims, just to see what could have happened). In other words, a LOT of public humiliation .

In MN you get to drive around with Whiskey license plates (a W with a circle around it on your license plate) for a DWI conviction .

 

[Topper]

Now the question is, whose alt are you?

Since you brought it up...the better question is, why did you slink away as Papa Deuce and reincarnate yourself as a children's tv show character?

Judges are restricted by sentencing guidelines everyday. If the judge cannot mesh out a harsher sentence due to guidelines, I would not see that as negligence. If you want harsher penalties, work within the system to change the laws/sentencing guidelines.

 

[sunnyday123]

I think they should have at minimum 200+ hours of community service, but I think their hours should include working at a rehab center for those who are victims of car accidents and have had head injuries, physical disabilities etc cause by drunken drivers. This way the offenders would see the results of their actions on a continual basis.

This. Maybe some time in the county morgue or ER to really see that. And maybe somehow (without interferring) watch as parents are told their child was killed because of a drunk driver.

And I also think jails should be run like the one in Arizona, where they live in tent citys, wear pink, have to work on a chain gang and have no "comforts".

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Since you brought it up...the better question is, why did you slink away as Papa Deuce and reincarnate yourself as a children's tv show character?

Judges are restricted by sentencing guidelines everyday. If the judge cannot mesh out a harsher sentence due to guidelines, I would not see that as negligence. If you want harsher penalties, work within the system to change the laws/sentencing guidelines.

I hardly call it slinking. I took a 1 year break because I wanted to, and changed my screen name, not created to be a troll like many do. It isn't an alt.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Since I feel the same way about drivers who talk on their cell phones while driving (hand-held OR blue-tooth), I think any of these punishments should also apply to any driver who was in an accident while on their cell phone.

Cell-phone driving IS impaired driving, just like drunk driving.

 

[Principessa1284]

My ex-boyfriend always said they should be shot at the side of the road after a breathalyzer. "Perhaps that would make people thing twice before putting their keys in the ignition."

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I don't know if Bulgaria still does this, but their penalties were very simple in the past.

First Offense - Six months in jail
Second Offense - Five years in jail
Third Offense - Firing Squad

 

[NHdisneylover]

I hardly call it slinking. I took a 1 year break because I wanted to, and changed my screen name, not created to be a troll like many do. It isn't an alt.

So that IS you? I remember another thread a while back when people were saying you were Papa Deuce and you continued to post on that thread but never acknowledged it was you. I guess I just don't get why you (general you, anyone) would change their user name unless they were trying to pretend they were not the same person; unless they forgot their log in info and had to use a new name, and then I think they would want people to know who they are and out it in their signature or something. So I am truly curious, WHY after a "year break" (meaning it has been nearly 2 years since Papa Duece posted here--WOW it does not seem that long) would you come back as another name and not as yourself? And why would you avoid answering when you were questioned about in in threads (I think there were several actually)? Truly, I find the whole thing just odd and would love to hear the thought process behind it.

ETA--I just couldn't believe it had been Sooooooooo long since i had seen posts by Pap Deuce, so I looked at the stats under public profile on here. Papa Deuce's last post was on August 23, 2010 and Big Cuddly Bear joined on Aug 26 2010. That is the shortest year I have ever heard of
I guess this sounds rude, but I really don't mean it that way--I just really wonder WHY try to be deceptive like that (especially when it is so easy for someone with no computer skills to speak of to just check right on this site) You are well known poster and I cannot recall any major brouhaha involving you. What is the reason for all this?

 

[Planogirl]

Why are you so interested? Just let it go already.

This is weird...

Will the real PD please step forward?

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

I totally agree changes need to be made in all states Re: Dui/Dwi arrests and sentencing.

Take their license, they will now drive with out a license so that means no insurance either.

Community work, lets see if you once taught tennis guess what you will spend time doing--sigh. Who thought up that one? How about working at the morgue or Sat night at the emergency room.

Jail time that gives you work release. I know the bread earner needs to take care of the family. I used to hate to see families suffer when the Mom or Dad went to jail for a Dui. In so many cases it is the kids that suffer.

Deferred cases work for the one time offender that was out with the boys/girls and made a mistake by getting behind the wheel of auto. When the offender is habitual drinker deferred was probably done once, maybe twice. The offender that gets a DUI 15 times is sick and needs professional help.

I do not believe you are able to sue a Judge. They have to follow sentencing guide lines. They also take the prosecutions suggestions, so it might have been the prosecutors office that suggests giving a guy/girl with 15 DUI arrests probation.

No flames -- just my random thoughts

 

[mrodgers]

When the law is fixed to differentiate between the guy who has a beer or 2 after work and the guy who has just drank a case and a half along with a fifth of Jack, then this could be discussed. I'd hate to see a guy have a beer after work and not make it home because he was "shot on the side of the road."