I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ... sentencing held

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

I'm sorry for Rosie's loss, but there's a huge difference between attacking social drinkers and the serious problems on the road.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa501.pdf

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

She's not attacking social drinkers. She's attacking the idiots who drink and then, in spite of being pounded over the head with "Don't Drink and Drive" messages on the TV for the past 30 years, continue to do just that, and then get pissed off because the cops had the nerve to pull them over before they manage to kill some innocent person.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

I appreciate the link, but I can't say I'm impressed with it. It's very clear that they came to a conclusion (social drinkers are being oppressed) and then began trying to find statistics that sound impressive in supporting it.

"•Two-thirds of the drivers in alcohol-
related fatal accidents have a BAC of .14
or higher."

Probably true, but so what? What about the other one-third?

"The average BAC in fatal accidents involving alcohol is .17"

Again, no reason to doubt their facts, but so what? The mean average isn't really a useful statistic in this case.

"In the last 15 years, more drivers registering BAC levels of .01 to .03 caused fatal accidents than did drivers with BACs from .08 to .10."

Okay. So what? How many drivers fit into those two ranges, and at what percentage did they get into accidents?

It's all a bunch of hand-waving with impressive sounding statistics that aren't analytically sound.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

I did a test once where I took a breathalyzer after each drink. By the time I was a .04, I was already certain there was no way I'd get behind the wheel. I suppose it affects everyone differently, but if I'm having more than one drink, I plan on sticking around for awhile. I usually stop at two, because I don't like not being in total control.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

And I'm very sorry about your relative.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

Update...

The guy who was driving pleaded guilty, his sentencing is in a couple weeks.

I'm debating back and forth on whether or not to go to the sentencing. I'm still very, very angry. I cover sentencings for work, so I know the process all too well, and I don't know if getting up and speaking during the victim input spot is a good idea, but part of me really wants to.

Unlike my county, where the plea agreements are announced in court at the pretrial hearing, the details haven't been released yet.

I just know that no matter what he gets, it just won't be enough.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

Do it. You deserve it and so does your family.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

Rosie - I agree with Slappy. Go ahead and speak. Hopefully, the drunk's ears will be ringing long after he's sentenced. Let him have it.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

Interesting results. I was at a bachelor party once where everyone who was drinking heavily kept playing with the breathlyzer. I wasn't driving home, and not even close to being in any condition to even think about driving home. Yet after an entire night of drinking, I only blew a .10 and then a .09.

I still have no idea if the breathlyzer was crap or what.

 

Re: I am so angry ... a drunken driving rant ...

The sentencing was held yesterday. I wound up not going - there were several factors which played into that, but it's probably better I didn't go.

After our staff meeting yesterday, I checked the online system to see if anything came through yet. And couldn't help it, felt the tears let loose.

Fifty-eight months.

Five years, eight months and no doubt he'll only serve one-third of that due to Minnesota's good behavior law.

I knew the plea agreement would be crap - I cover this stuff all the time - but it hurts.

It really hurts.

 

I'm so sorry, Rosie.

 

Rosie - I'm so sorry, too. This really sucks.