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

[Big Cuddly Bear]

This was inspired by my seeing the DUI offenders in my county today out cleaning roads ( picking up trash ) as part of their sentence.

I know you will anyway, but I am not looking for discussion, just the actual sentence you would hand out.

If I was the judge my sentence for a first time DUI would be:

1. Three months in jail, maybe up to 6 months

2. Loss of license for at least a year

3. 200 Hours of community service

A second offense - well, let's just say they might not see the outside world for a VERY LONG time.

 

[EMom]

I used to work in an office that prosecuted DWIs and they could be a booger to get a conviction on because the jury would feel sorry for the defendant and relate to them. "We've all had a few too many and driven home without realizing we were impaired......There but for the grace of God go I" and that sort of thing. And that was with GOOD evidence.

Me, I'd give a tough sentence, depending on what was offered. Because from my experience, if you're arrested on a DWI, you have driven drunk umpteen times in the past and just not been caught. And had the police not caught you that time, you might have been one mile away from hitting a car and killing a family. It's like firing a gun into a crowd while you're blindfolded. Maybe you didn't MEAN to hurt/kill anyone, but anyone with one working brain cell would have predicted there was a good chance BAD things would come of it. You drive drunk and you're gambling with the lives of others who did not agree to the gamble. I have no sympathy for you.

Maybe there are some police who can offer an opinion on this.......We found that, "I've only had two beers," really meant they'd had at least a six pack. If they admitted to drinking a six pack, all bets were off and the blood alcohol limit was going to be maybe twice the legal limit, easy. Usually multiplying what they admitted to drinking 2 to 3 times was a good estimate of what they had really ingested. Closer to 3.

 

[JessicaR]

I don't know maybe loss of a hand or a foot. That should be a strong enough deterrent. The punishments aren't fitting the crime right now because the offenders are repeating and there are way too many new offenders every day.

Maybe loss of your license and LOTS of community service as well as jail time.

 

[Pakey]

Most of the people I know who have gotten one hate the community service worse than the jail time. Here there is no jail time even with a 2nd one because of severe jail overcrowding so they are forced to do comminity service anyway. So I'd increase the community service and I'd make the fines more painful. Seven days of picking up trash is not that horrible; make it 52 days and they might think more about it. Also, don't give them options on the type of community service (here there is a long list); make them do it wherever the need is greatest.

I don't think the loss of license is a big deal because so many of them continue to drive without licenses. They get cars that are of little value, registered in someone else's name, and if they get stopped and the car gets impounded, they don't care.

I also don't think the fines are high enough.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I will say right from the get go I am hugely biased when it comes to this topic, so my punishment will probably be considered way too harsh to most people.. My aunt and my best friend's daughter were both killed by drunk drivers. My best friend has a head injury and my mom has a broken back because of them as well.

IMO if you are caught driving drunk you need to be charged with attempted man slaughter. I don't care if it is your first time or not, all it takes is once for you to completely ruin someone else's life.

 

[GeorgeG]

I think many juridictions have specific guidelines for such things, but if it were up to me I would go with 30 days in jail, loss of license for 6 months (not counting the time in jail), and 60 hours of community service. Subsequent violations would compound times two each time.

 

[minkydog]

I think there should be a minimum of 7 days in jail, plus $1,500 fine and 200 hours community service for a first time offense. It's not 'like people don't know they are drinkin and driving--they know. They just choose to turn the car on and go. Second offenders should get 3-6 months in jail, $5,000 fine, and 6 months community service . Third strike, you're out. Two years in prison and permanent loss of license.

 

[woodkins]

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.

 

[Michelle67]

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.

I really agree with this. I think they should see, up close and personal, how irresponsible persons like themselves have shattered people's lives.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Boy you all are lenient, I guess you're lucky it's not up to me because all that isn't much of a deterrent to me considering these people are deliberately consuming a drug then operating a multi ton weapon endangering everyone in their path. IMO we should give the cab operators and public transportation companies a boost and make 10 years loss of license and a criminal history mandatory, after that jail time & lots of it, you can't hurt people when you're in jail. Think I'm too harsh, just don't DUI and its not an issue

 

[Abbeys_mom]

Fines, jail time, etc are all good, but include a shift in a morgue and an ER, to see first hand how lucky they were.

I had a friend die my senior year of college, he had just graduated the year before, came back to his fraternity on alumni weekend, we partied, he tried to drive home. His car was on display at the main intersection, I found out he died by driving by in the next morning and realizing that was his car. Talk about making an impact on my life!

 

[Reddy]

I think 1 (at least) year of having the breath test before starting your car - I know of a guy who had this - drove him nuts
if he was caught driving a different call then the fine was really high (even if he wasn't drunk - couldn't even drive the company car)

 

[manning]

Most of the people I know who have gotten one hate the community service worse than the jail time. Here there is no jail time even with a 2nd one because of severe jail overcrowding so they are forced to do comminity service anyway. So I'd increase the community service and I'd make the fines more painful. Seven days of picking up trash is not that horrible; make it 52 days and they might think more about it. Also, don't give them options on the type of community service (here there is a long list); make them do it wherever the need is greatest.

I don't think the loss of license is a big deal because so many of them continue to drive without licenses. They get cars that are of little value, registered in someone else's name, and if they get stopped and the car gets impounded, they don't care.

I also don't think the fines are high enough.

And wear pink with big DUI letters!!

 

[ctinct]

I think there should be a minimum of 7 days in jail, plus $1,500 fine and 200 hours community service for a first time offense. It's not 'like people don't know they are drinkin and driving--they know. They just choose to turn the car on and go. Second offenders should get 3-6 months in jail, $5,000 fine, and 6 months community service . Third strike, you're out. Two years in prison and permanent loss of license.

I think this is mostly realistic and doable; I like it a lot. Although many of us would like to see stiffer sentences, the reality is our jails just could not handle all the dui cases, and I truly don't think people would be okay with taxes being raised enough to fund new jails and the staff to run them. Them may say they'd support new jails, but heck, we can't even fund education properly in these parts.

I also think that 7 days would be sufficient to get the message out to many social drinkers. Spend a week in the slammer, and I bet they'd think twice about getting behind the wheel drunk. However, I don't think even a few months would make much of a difference to habitual offenders. They're going to drink and drive anyhow.

The difficult part to enforce would be the loss of license. There was just this week an instance of a 15 year old boy driving a car illegally who crashed and was killed in the city I work in. In my state, you are not even allowed to get your permit until you turn 16, but it didn't stop him from driving. I work in the school system, and I can vouch that many, many teenagers drive without a license. Even though there are usually several cases daily in the arrest reports published in the paper of people driving under suspension, i feel that the number of people driving without a license is WAY over the number who are actually caught. It's hard to catch people unless they are either known to the police or pulled over for another infraction. I don't think my punishment would include permanent loss of one's license, but even though I'm sure it would be largely ignored, I would suspend licenses for a year.

 

[Meriweather]

As much and as long as I could. I have no tolerance for it.

 

[FroggyinArk]

you people are way too lenient. dui offenders should be locked up for life. they should be made to spend time taking care of dui victoms and seeing th epain and prolonged suffering those victims live with. dui offenders should have to be unable to work at thier chosen profession, unable to enjoy thier favorite hobbies, give up thier homes businesses and friends like those they hurt have to.


bu then as th evictim of a drunk driver who lost a business, th eability to use my right eye, my favorite hobbies etc i might be a little biased.

 

[Planogirl]

I definitely think that anyone under the influence that hurts anyone else should be locked up. I doubt that the courts will get that severe with someone that is just driving that way though.

I want the punishment to be severe but I think about the person who does not routinely drive that way and gets caught. I know that they should be punished but loss of license might mean that they can't work (we have no transit) and one thing I'd like to see is some form of restitution along with the other punishments. I haven't quite worked that one out yet.

 

[disney1990]

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

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

If no one has been hurt and the person was just stopped for DUI, First offense is loss of drivers license FOREVER, a year in prison and probation for life and 100 hours of community service for life. (that is about 2 hours a week).

When you are putting innocent people's life in harms way, I have no tolerance for that. Honestly the thought of someone drinking and driving in this day and age sickens me. There is enough information on the TV, internet, radio, billboards, in school, etc to know that it is wrong. If you are going to drink have back up plans.
I just found out a friend of mine that I have known for over 30 years just got a DUI. I totally lost all respect for him.

 

[waltskids]

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!!