Comments on: Revolving Door Keeps Spinning for City’s Drunk Drivers http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/06/revolving-door-keeps-spinning-for-citys-drunk-drivers/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ZK http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/06/revolving-door-keeps-spinning-for-citys-drunk-drivers/comment-page-1/#comment-67587 ZK Thu, 07 May 2009 19:49:44 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6082#comment-67587 Lawmakers drink and drive. They will not make tougher laws punishing something they actively engage in. Lawmakers drink and drive. They will not make tougher laws punishing something they actively engage in.

]]> By: CRealityPPL http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/06/revolving-door-keeps-spinning-for-citys-drunk-drivers/comment-page-1/#comment-67563 CRealityPPL Thu, 07 May 2009 16:20:13 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6082#comment-67563 I agree, we should tie them up and burn them like they used to do the witches in the olden days.. COME ON PEOPLE WAKE UP! Reality is that DWI offenses are generally non-violent in nature. The statistics stated in the article also represent situations where people are arrested for being drunk and sleeping in their PARKED cars with the keys in the ignition. Do these people merit incarceration as well? I'm sure any reasonable person would agree they don't. Almost none of those "6000" DWI arrests that resulted in nonincarceratory sentences involved people getting injured or even in accidents. And those rare situations we see on the news where someone is injured as a result of a drunk driver, the offender is generally given an incarceratory sentence, hence those "187" who were given incarceratory sentences. The reality is that dispositions in drunk driving cases are severe! Anyone charged with a DWI (including those poor saps who are arrested for sleeping while intoxicated in their parked cars) faces at the very minimum a day or two of incarceration while they wait to see the judge, fines that range up to $2,000, lengthy and costly Drunk Driving classes in order to have a chance of obtaining their license again, a mandatory license suspension which can last up to a year in certain cases, the possible forfeiture of their vehicle, additional future fines and surcharges at the DMV and a possible jail sentence. Not to mention the fact that you end up with a criminal record and that if this is your second offense within a 10 year period you will in all likelihood end up doing jail time or at the very minimum an alcohol program which may last over a year and may be inpatient (which is almost the same as jail time). The reality is that not everyone arrested for a DWI deserves jail time - take a couple of hours to go visit your local correctional facility and you'll understand why. The penalties imposed by the legislature and enforced by the DA's office protect the rest of the public by keeping DWI offenders off the road and by making it very difficult for them to get back on the road. Oh and to address PaulCJr's concern about those individuals who "mow down people" and only get a couple of years... There's a flip side to that coin. Those perpetrators who accidently "mow down people" while intoxicated aren't purposefuly getting in their cars and thinking to themselves "tonight I'm going to go mow down a couple of people". That's not how it happens. NORMALLY IT'S AN ACCIDENT. Yes it's an accident that may or may not have been caused by their drinking, but it's something that not only the deceased's family will have to live with, but the "perpetrator" and his family will also have to live with for the rest of their lives. This is a tragic situation not only for the deceased, but for everyone. Giving someone jail time isn't always the answer, after all isn't the purpose of the criminal justice system not just to punish but also to rehabilitate? You shouldn't get caught up by misleading statistics such as these, take a moment and think for yourselves before you jump the gun. I agree, we should tie them up and burn them like they used to do the witches in the olden days.. COME ON PEOPLE WAKE UP! Reality is that DWI offenses are generally non-violent in nature. The statistics stated in the article also represent situations where people are arrested for being drunk and sleeping in their PARKED cars with the keys in the ignition. Do these people merit incarceration as well? I’m sure any reasonable person would agree they don’t. Almost none of those “6000″ DWI arrests that resulted in nonincarceratory sentences involved people getting injured or even in accidents. And those rare situations we see on the news where someone is injured as a result of a drunk driver, the offender is generally given an incarceratory sentence, hence those “187″ who were given incarceratory sentences. The reality is that dispositions in drunk driving cases are severe! Anyone charged with a DWI (including those poor saps who are arrested for sleeping while intoxicated in their parked cars) faces at the very minimum a day or two of incarceration while they wait to see the judge, fines that range up to $2,000, lengthy and costly Drunk Driving classes in order to have a chance of obtaining their license again, a mandatory license suspension which can last up to a year in certain cases, the possible forfeiture of their vehicle, additional future fines and surcharges at the DMV and a possible jail sentence. Not to mention the fact that you end up with a criminal record and that if this is your second offense within a 10 year period you will in all likelihood end up doing jail time or at the very minimum an alcohol program which may last over a year and may be inpatient (which is almost the same as jail time). The reality is that not everyone arrested for a DWI deserves jail time – take a couple of hours to go visit your local correctional facility and you’ll understand why. The penalties imposed by the legislature and enforced by the DA’s office protect the rest of the public by keeping DWI offenders off the road and by making it very difficult for them to get back on the road. Oh and to address PaulCJr’s concern about those individuals who “mow down people” and only get a couple of years… There’s a flip side to that coin. Those perpetrators who accidently “mow down people” while intoxicated aren’t purposefuly getting in their cars and thinking to themselves “tonight I’m going to go mow down a couple of people”. That’s not how it happens. NORMALLY IT’S AN ACCIDENT. Yes it’s an accident that may or may not have been caused by their drinking, but it’s something that not only the deceased’s family will have to live with, but the “perpetrator” and his family will also have to live with for the rest of their lives. This is a tragic situation not only for the deceased, but for everyone. Giving someone jail time isn’t always the answer, after all isn’t the purpose of the criminal justice system not just to punish but also to rehabilitate? You shouldn’t get caught up by misleading statistics such as these, take a moment and think for yourselves before you jump the gun.

]]> By: PaulCJr http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/06/revolving-door-keeps-spinning-for-citys-drunk-drivers/comment-page-1/#comment-67521 PaulCJr Wed, 06 May 2009 23:43:09 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6082#comment-67521 I agree with you Christine. I also blame the NYPD as well. I've seen many times cabbies and other drivers run red lights in front of cops and they do nothing. It makes me feel that they really don't want to be bothered. Its horrible that these individuals that mow down people only get only a couple of years. Then they get to go off and live their lives. The dead and their families get no such luxury. Its a pity. :( I agree with you Christine. I also blame the NYPD as well. I’ve seen many times cabbies and other drivers run red lights in front of cops and they do nothing. It makes me feel that they really don’t want to be bothered. Its horrible that these individuals that mow down people only get only a couple of years. Then they get to go off and live their lives. The dead and their families get no such luxury. Its a pity. :(

]]> By: christine http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/06/revolving-door-keeps-spinning-for-citys-drunk-drivers/comment-page-1/#comment-67519 christine Wed, 06 May 2009 21:55:10 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=6082#comment-67519 This is infuriating but explains why the police does not enforce the vehicular law. The justice system tells them: You are wasting your time ! This is infuriating but explains why the police does not enforce the vehicular law.

The justice system tells them: You are wasting your time !

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