"No Refusal Weekend"

[Brian]

'No-Refusal Weekend' targets drunken drivers
If you get caught drinking and driving this Memorial Day weekend, police will make you an offer than you can't refuse.

Law enforcement agencies across Denton County will participate in the first DWI "No Refusal Weekend".

Intoxicated drivers and boaters who refuse a breathalyzer test will be taken to jail to give court-ordered blood samples.

Sponsored by the Denton County District Attorney's Office, the program is designed ensure that evidence - in the form of a sample of the suspect's breath or blood - is obtained in order to determine the alcohol concentration in the suspect's system.

http://www.lantanalinks.com/news.htm

Be safe. Dont drink and drive!

Now that my safety message is done, I am not sure how I feel about this ruling.

How does this not violate our right to representation? Can a court order something without me having my rights represented ie-lawyer?

Can a court give a blanket order? I thought all court orders were specific to a person?

Road blocks, no refusals....where does it end?

Is "probable cause" not even necessary anymore?

I know driving is a privilege, not a right but is this a "slippery slope" and where does the line stop?

Talk amongst yourselves now...

[josh]

I think I am on board with Brian. I want to do pretty much whatever it takes to stop drunk driving. I am all for stiffer fines, jail, etc once you are convicted. But a blanket court order ruffles my feathers a bit too.

[linux_is_cool]

Is "probable cause" not even necessary anymore?

I think the probable cause if your failure to drive properly and then you refusing a breathalyzer.

I thought that you went to jail regardless if you refused the breathalyzer.

[Brian]

Is "probable cause" not even necessary anymore?

I think the probable cause if your failure to drive properly and then you refusing a breathalyzer.

I thought that you went to jail regardless if you refused the breathalyzer.

I think that is what confuses me.

Probable Cause = driving recklessly, swerving on road, running stop light, accident, going above speed limit.

DUI check points? Refusing breathalyzer? Or is it defending ones rights of refusal without representation?

Very grey area to me. Although it doesnt seem so much to the Denton Courts.

[slider701]

I believe the way the handled it for the last big weekend was to have a nurse on staff at the police office to draw blood and a judge on-call to sign the warrant immediately.

Most likely before they even got your drunken butt to the station they would have the paperwork in hand.

Unfortunately this is what upsets me about groups like the ACLU....if they picked their battles wisely then they would gain 1000 times more respect from people. Fighting the constitutionality of a blood draw or check points for drunken drivers shouldn't be a battle anyone challenges.

The minute you decide to climb behind the wheel drunk you should lose your constitutional privileges.......notice I didn't say rights.

[HEAD]

The minute you decide to climb behind the wheel drunk you should lose your constitutional privileges.......notice I didn't say rights.

Well Said. Nobody talks about the rights of the legal drivers that don't want to get killed on the roads.

[admin]

Police said that the "No Refusal Weekend" was a success.

More here: www.lantanalinks.com/news.htm#refusal

[Common Sense Al]

Police said that the "No Refusal Weekend" was a success.

I have to ask... what else would they say?

[Brian]

Police said that the "No Refusal Weekend" was a success.

More here: www.lantanalinks.com/news.htm#refusal

Out of the 40 DWI-related offenses, 30 were classified as driving while intoxicated/first offense, two were DWI/second offense, three were DWI/third offense, one was DWI with a child passenger, and four were boating while intoxicated.

DWI with child on board - Thats one great parent.

I really didnt see any cops around with all the driving around I did that weekend. I was expecting them to be all over the place. I wonder if most of those arrests happened late at night.