I think drink driving should be a 100% lifetime driving ban not sure what the prison terms should be, there should also be an extremely heavy fine in place. Something like 3 x monthly salary,
In the report I read the lady in question was reported as saying she was probably drinking vodka at the wheel. Apparently she was on her way to a wake!! Also reports that the child has been taken into custody (I assume they mean care)
There's no defence for drink driving. But three things ought to be taken into consideration, in terms of mitigation. First, she pleaded guilty, saving the courts and police both time and expense; second, she was over the limit not because she had been out drinking that day, but because she had been drinking the night before (which of us knows that we have always been below the limit; and which of us are kidding ourselves?); and third, she was of previous "good character", that is, it wasn't something she has a hatful of convictions for in the past.
She'll be doing time, which, of course, is designed to do three things: punish, protect the public and rehabilitate. The first two are given. I hope, when she's out, and when she's finally - if ever - given the privelege of holding a driving licence again, she's uses that privelege properly.
Other people on this thread think her sentence is unduly lenient, even though no-one was hurt. But it's a punishment to at least three people (her, her child and her husband). Every single day and night of that sentence, she will be regretting the shere, selfish stupidity of what she did. I hope when she comes out, she can go back to leading a law-abiding life
I'm sorry but there's no way someone can be 3 times the limit from drinking the night before without topping it up during that day. It's just physically impossible. It's not like she was just over the limit from the previous days drinking (still not excusable) she was 3 times the limit. That requires a lot of drinking in the couple of hours immediately before the test. Given there is usually a couple of hours between the roadside test and the official test back at the nick she had to have been drinking just before.
Not buying that. And the police won't have either.
Just setting out the facts of the case, as set out.
She claimed - and wasn't challenged - that she had been drinking the previous night, until about 1:00am and that she hadn't had a drink that day.
There is no evidence that she'd been drinking immediately prior to the accident. (It's a bit worrying that some people think it's not possible still to be three times over the limit late in the morning after a heavy session the night before).
She refused a roadside breath test and had a blood test later, with her reading at the time of the accident based on a count back.
The article mentioned that they found a vodka bottle in the car - I cant remember if it was full or empty but I'd be surprised if she hadn't drunk from it before or even whilst she was driving
Oh well. I can guarantee the majority of real country pubs are sending people away with far more than the legal limit in their system knowing the drinker intends to drive home.
I will admit that my perspective on this is that of a non-driver, but I hardly think a prison term for being caught drink-driving is the way forward. Lengthier driving bans, however, are.
driving bans serve no purpose & are a complete waste of time. Many , many drivers that are caught drink driving or without insurance are found to be banned from driving at the time. Try watching a few "traffic cop£ programmes - almost all the incidents involves banned or non-insureed drivers.
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
I will admit that my perspective on this is that of a non-driver, but I hardly think a prison term for being caught drink-driving is the way forward. Lengthier driving bans, however, are.
driving bans serve no purpose & are a complete waste of time. Many , many drivers that are caught drink driving or without insurance are found to be banned from driving at the time. Try watching a few "traffic cop£ programmes - almost all the incidents involves banned or non-insureed drivers.
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
The US incarcerates a higher proportion of its citizens than anywhere else in the world, so you could argue that harsh sentencing offers no deterrent. I believe that the murder rate in that city (Jacksonville?) was rising too - again indicating that harsh sentencing offered no deterrent.
With high gang and drug crime, many of the perpetrators are operating under threat of death every day, outside the criminal justice system, so the argument goes, why would they be deterred by dying at the hands of the criminal justice system.
One witness said: "At no point did she ask after the welfare of the child or refer to him. In the 32 years I have been driving this is one of the most dangerous pieces of driving I have ever witnessed, I see stuff on the road every day, but nothing this bad. What I witnessed fell far below what I would expect of a reasonable and competent driver, it was dangerous and stupid. I am upset that this was done with the child in the car, it was irresponsible.”
I will admit that my perspective on this is that of a non-driver, but I hardly think a prison term for being caught drink-driving is the way forward. Lengthier driving bans, however, are.
driving bans serve no purpose & are a complete waste of time. Many , many drivers that are caught drink driving or without insurance are found to be banned from driving at the time. Try watching a few "traffic cop£ programmes - almost all the incidents involves banned or non-insureed drivers.
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
And sadly the death penalty oversees areas where the life expectancy for certain demographics is actually greater on death row than on the streets.
Similarly, "life means life" means you're locking people up who have nothing to lose or live for - and exposing them to petty criminals. Not a great outcome for those who have to deal with them, or those exposed to them as peers.
For what it's worth, I think there is a clear need for an overhaul of our criminal justice system; it is far too lenient in it's current form. I don't really see throwing the key away (or outright killing people) as a suitable step forward though - perhaps with a few exceptions. I'd suggest more prisons of a smaller size, and ones that specifically cater to certain offences and sentences, and not just risk groups. This would most likely provide a few improvements to re-offending rates whilst also curtailing radicalisation.
Ultimately someone needs to dump some serious cash in to the system.
I will admit that my perspective on this is that of a non-driver, but I hardly think a prison term for being caught drink-driving is the way forward. Lengthier driving bans, however, are.
driving bans serve no purpose & are a complete waste of time. Many , many drivers that are caught drink driving or without insurance are found to be banned from driving at the time. Try watching a few "traffic cop£ programmes - almost all the incidents involves banned or non-insureed drivers.
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
Do you think the American justice system has done a good job in reducing the murder rate in that country?
I will admit that my perspective on this is that of a non-driver, but I hardly think a prison term for being caught drink-driving is the way forward. Lengthier driving bans, however, are.
driving bans serve no purpose & are a complete waste of time. Many , many drivers that are caught drink driving or without insurance are found to be banned from driving at the time. Try watching a few "traffic cop£ programmes - almost all the incidents involves banned or non-insureed drivers.
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
Do you think the American justice system has done a good job in reducing the murder rate in that country?
No I don't , but at least if you lock someone up for LIFE then they cant commit another crime EVER AGAIN. In America I think the biggest problem is their constitution - perhaps if the got rid of the law that says that everyone has the right to own a gun that might help.
For anyone advocating adopting the US penal system: it is entirely driven by modern slavery. I believe a very high percentage of electrical and kitchen goods, also printer cartridges and other office equipment for instance are produced by forced labour in prisons. It is a multibilliondollar industry. The income generated for the states who contract out the prisons (which are run as profitmaking businesses, not as commissioned public services as in the UK) and run most of the law enforcement means that there is a clear conflict of interest between prevention of crime or rehabilitation and simply building bigger prison factories. The deal is that the criminal justice system provides the labour force and the legislature ensures that the administrative legal systems are in place to support that. The lack of opportunity available in poor communities ensures the supply of the next generation. As a disproportionate number of prisoners are black and/or poor this starts to look like a policy of legal slavery based on very traditional lines.
I will admit that my perspective on this is that of a non-driver, but I hardly think a prison term for being caught drink-driving is the way forward. Lengthier driving bans, however, are.
driving bans serve no purpose & are a complete waste of time. Many , many drivers that are caught drink driving or without insurance are found to be banned from driving at the time. Try watching a few "traffic cop£ programmes - almost all the incidents involves banned or non-insureed drivers.
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
Do you think the American justice system has done a good job in reducing the murder rate in that country?
No I don't , but at least if you lock someone up for LIFE then they cant commit another crime EVER AGAIN. In America I think the biggest problem is their constitution - perhaps if the got rid of the law that says that everyone has the right to own a gun that might help.
So let me get this right. Your solution to crime in the UK is to make sure all criminals are locked up for the rest of their lives AND to change the US constitution?
Comments
Also reports that the child has been taken into custody (I assume they mean care)
Just watch the local Taxi Companies boom though!
This country needs a good seeing to. I was watching BBC2 last week & they had a programme about the American justice system & a certain American town (cant remember which one) had just 2 sentences for someone committing murder - either the death penalty or LIFE without ANY parole. Life meant Life. In this county you could be out in 15 or 20 years.
With high gang and drug crime, many of the perpetrators are operating under threat of death every day, outside the criminal justice system, so the argument goes, why would they be deterred by dying at the hands of the criminal justice system.
Similarly, "life means life" means you're locking people up who have nothing to lose or live for - and exposing them to petty criminals. Not a great outcome for those who have to deal with them, or those exposed to them as peers.
For what it's worth, I think there is a clear need for an overhaul of our criminal justice system; it is far too lenient in it's current form. I don't really see throwing the key away (or outright killing people) as a suitable step forward though - perhaps with a few exceptions. I'd suggest more prisons of a smaller size, and ones that specifically cater to certain offences and sentences, and not just risk groups. This would most likely provide a few improvements to re-offending rates whilst also curtailing radicalisation.
Ultimately someone needs to dump some serious cash in to the system.