Exposing the Negative

I'm still learning when it comes to the court research stuff.  There is nothing to really report from last week.  Out of the 19 arraignments in Windsor County Court on July 10th, a couple were transferred to Diversion, there were a couple of people who didn't show up for their arraignments, there were a couple who pled guilty and had their cases closed, one case was dismissed, and the rest pled not guilty.  The vast majority of those were DUI's.  This got me thinking about DUI's.

Although it is dangerous, irresponsible and clearly illegal to drive after you have been drinking alcohol, I can see, in some ways, how this might happen.  You go watch a ball game with a friend, you have more beers than you plan to have, you get in your car thinking you're okay to drive, and you get stopped and charged with a DUI.  However, on the other hand, driving under the influence is driving under the influence.  I would rather have someone get stopped and get a DUI, than get in an accident because they were driving while impaired, and kill someone or kill themselves. 

Ten or fifteen years ago, one of my friends was coming home after partying, and knew that he shouldn't be driving.  He pulled over into a pulloff and went to sleep in his truck.  A police officer found him there, and although he wasn't driving, in fact the car wasn't even running, because the keys were in the ignition and my friend was in the car, my friend was charged with DUI.  So - note to self: If you are in your vehicle and you realize you shouldn't be driving, it's never too late to make a better decision.  Pull over, park your vehicle somewhere safe and use your cell phone to call someone for a ride.  Even if it's the middle of the night, it's better to be annoyed by someone calling you in the middle of the night for a ride than it is for someone to be called saying that you have been taken to DHMC in the DART helicopter, because you were driving under the influence.  It is better to be annoyed by the "please come get me" call than the call from the state police barracks saying that you killed someone when you were driving drunk.  If you don't have a cell phone or you are not in service, pull over onto a side road well off the main highway.  Don't park somewhere in plain sight where a police officer might investigate.