Community Chat

[luvmyteddy4]

They started road blocks last night and stopped 234 cars in one location. 19 DUIs were issued. This will go on all weekend. That's a lot of drunks on the road and just in that one location. Think about how many all over that don't get caught.

[MikafromTopeka]

I live in a very small town. I've counted 12-15 establishments where you can drink from taverns to restaurants within a 5 mile radius of my home. Four of them within 2 county blocks or 1/4 mile.

Even if each place only served 10 people per night that would be 120-150 people driving impaired on the roads in this little town every night and that would be a very slow night. Even if you factor in that some of these customers are making the rounds.

This also doesn't include the grocery store and gas station/mini marts that sell alcohol.

[CouponQueen]

What really STINKS Is how many will actually get that on their record?? Not many!!

Part of my job is running criminal background checks on our clients..and I have access to the same dashboard computer State Police have..links in right with the Federal System etc.

If you only knew how many people out there have been arrested for many major felony's and they are plead down to next to nothing..Grand Larceny...Burglary..Possession of Burglar Tools etc..plead down to Petit Larceny. Just the other day somebody had FOURTEEN Grand Larceny/ Burglary charges alone..all plead down..total jail time served COMBINED.. 5 -years and that is with a total of 27 arrests..the other 13 were driving while drinking or some form.

I don't understand the criteria for various charges..difference between the multiple Driving While Intoxicated..Driving while over % of alcohol charges..but what stands out to me and this is with most..if not all..

You get charged Driving While Under the Influence of alcohol - first offense..or drving while intoxicated first offense..Plead down to DWAI..and get arrested a year later..you get Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol..first offense..cause you plead it down the first time..and were not convicted of it.

The penal system needs a complete over haul on the pleas..it is horrible..how many major crimes are reduced down..Forcible touching, etc...gets plead down to Public Lewdness..I can go on all day on the crimes people get away with.

Possession of drugs/instruments, tools etc..often plead to Disorderly Conduct..

[ennui1]

On 7/4/2014 CouponQueen said:

If you only knew how many people out there have been arrested for many major felony's and they are plead down to next to nothing..Grand Larceny...Burglary..Possession of Burglar Tools etc..plead down to Petit Larceny. Just the other day somebody had FOURTEEN Grand Larceny/ Burglary charges alone..all plead down..total jail time served COMBINED.. 5 -years and that is with a total of 27 arrests..the other 13 were driving while drinking or some form.

I don't understand the criteria for various charges..

The way it works ... the District Attorney's office charges for the highest possible offense, the defense attorney offers to plead to a lesser charge, they agree, so the DA has a "win," the defense attorney has done his job, it saves the costs of court trials, and everyone goes home happy.

Very few criminal charges actually go to trial.

[BonnieBelle]

Very sad that people would actually drive drunk!!

[Kachina624]

All you have to do here is ask a server or bartender to call you a FREE taxi.

[sylviahomeatlast]

checkpoints are a very good thing---in CO, we travel on interstates to get around---also secondary highways

[brewhaha]

Good

[ennui1]

On 7/4/2014 BonnieBelle said:

Very sad that people would actually drive drunk!!

People don't plan ahead ... the designated driver needs to be appointed before the party starts.

[Lila Belle]

I'd like to see checkpoints done much more often, not just on holidays.

At least the drivers who are stopped aren't on the roads endangering innocent people.