Hines Ward Pleads Guilty

more people have died from drunk driving, the innocent and the guilty, then all the violent crimes combined.

 

I must chime in on this subject! 1st...I'm not sure where some of you people on here figure this is a "glory" stop for officers. I can assure you that most officers would rather not have to stop anyone for drinking and driving on sidewalks, into buildings, houses or more importantly other people. If you have never been to an accident were someone was hurt or killed by a person who "only" had a few beers than I'm not sure you have room to say this is a "glory" stop. 2nd...this crime cost the state a lot of money to prosecute. It is NOT the cash cow that some people assume it is. The only people I know getting rich off this crime are defense attorneys. Look up the average fine for a drunk driving charge, see how many hours are put into it from the time of stop until a verdict and then compare. A real "cash cow" let me tell you. Finally...let me clear up a misconception or two. The "exercises" (as some put), which are really field sobriety tests and the machine that you blow into are only used for probable cause. They, in and of themselves, are not sole grounds for arrest. They are evidence that is hard to refute and evidence that people have come to expect to see when these go to court but the officer still has to have a reason for the stop and his observations. As far as officer discretion, yes they do have it, however, let's say an officer stops someone for drinking and driving, that person blows and their blood alcohol content is near or at the legal limit. The officer does what some people would like to see them do and decides to use his discretion and let the person go. That person drives off and kills someone after having been stopped and found to be at the legal limit. Do you suppose that that officer might be held accountable for allowing the person to continue and drive. Maybe criminally liable but most definitely civilly liable. Plus having to live with the idea that you allowed someone to drive after you knew they were intoxicated and they killed someone. That is a lot to ask of an officer just because your opinion of this crime is that it isn't that big of a deal, or a cash cow for the state or a glory stop. Oh, and as far as asking for a blood test, those are almost always higher in blood alcohol content than a breath test. Anyhow...all the above is just stuff I heard. I really have no knowledge about the subject and really should have not typed anything about it. I bet there are a few here who could use the same advice!

 

Sorry about the long post...usually I can't put more than a thought or two into anything. This subject and people's misconceptions touch a nerve a little. Anyhow, I apologize again!

 

Ah Jim you're putting words in my mouth. I never said I viewed this as a "Glory Stop" for officers and I also never said driving drunk wasn't a big deal. Matter of fact I specifically said I didn't advocate drunks behind the wheel. I have several friends who are cops and just as you eluded they've all admitted to me they'd rather be out doing MORE PRODUCTIVE police work (their words not mine). Fact is they're out there because their superiors order them out there and their superiors get their marching orders from state and local government who benefit from the revenues of DUI and all other fines. Whether you believe it or not this is a big revenue producer because the majority of the people arrested simply take the mandatory fine and punishments without putting up any fight because they can't afford a big time lawyer to get them off so it doesn't cost state and local government near as much to prosecute this as you're saying. Finally to your point on not typing your opinion on a subject you're not an expert on hell that happens all the time on here lol. What a boring place it would be here if it didn't. I think you made some good points I just don't necessarily agree with all of them

 

I was the one who said glory stops. I can only speak of the one time being pulled over after leaving a place pretty late at night, here it is .

This particular night I did not have one drink. Leaving this place I picked up a tail which was parked accross the street watching the establishments customers in the process of leaving for the night, I assume by this story he was after a glory stop. On my way route about 5 miles into my trip I still have my tail. About this same area i have a turn that is a left with an immediate right . Upon this series of turns the guy lights me up. Comes to my window, smiling and says the usual " You know why I stopped you?" my one word answer was no. I made an improper lane change according to the officer. I am a little chapped about the 5 mile escort but what can I do, cant whip his ass, cant make any comment without getting, cant do ****. I have nothing to gain from arguing over him basically checking me out (which is what I figure he is doing since he started following me when I left the establishment). So I just said F it in my head, handed him my license and registration without saying a word.
He comes back and sticks his head almost in the the truck and says right off the bat "Have you been drinking?" I say no. He says he can smell alcohol which I know is absolute BS so I laugh and say, You may want to get that nose checked". He then ask me to step out of the car. I do and that is when I he starts saying he wants to test me. I just said if thats you belief then take me in and give me a blood test, thats how I wanted to be tested. (When it came back 0.0 I was going to compain). He went back to his vehicile, came back with some more bs and basically said I was free to go.

Now you taking the story and running off at the mouth thinking I said every stop is a glory stop is your problem. I didnt say that. There are many that have been though. There was even a case in Vegas where officers were putting stickers on cars rear bumbers in strip club parking lots- so when other officers seen them later in the night they would find a glory stop reason to pull them over. The Vegas police got in hot water over this. Parking outside establishment to basically follow anyone leaving again is BS. That also is a glory stop.

I dont give a F about what the test is, how its results come back, which is more accurate or what. What I do care about is watching those officers drive away from obvious traffic stops because it is terribly cold during the day but to randomly target anyone leaving a bar or restuarant after hours.

Some of these cops need to realize video is everywhere. They will be exposed. Stops like these bring down others that are doing it the right way (which I believe the majority are). Their careers dont last forever..... they may have to go out in public one day , and if they do enough of these BS stops someones going to question them about it.

 

BlacknGold... I'm sorry if you felt like I was putting words in your mouth. It was noitall0605 that claimed drunk driving stops were "glory" stops. I guess I should have quoted but I wasn't wanting to take up more space than I already was. Also, I did not mean that people aren't allowed to post their opinion on here and looking back I could have probably stated what I did better. I respect your opinion, however, I must live and work in a state where drunk driving is not a cash cow. When you add the officer's rate for the couple of hours he spends processing a drunk driver, the prosecutors time reviewing and preparing the case, the courts time invested and the cost of processing the crime...its pretty costly. Even if a drunk driver doesn't contest the charge it still has to be processed, prepared and ready in case the criminal does decide to contest it. Also, someone mentioned that officers should be out preventing other bigger crimes and, again, I don't understand that logic. How does one (a cop) prevent domestic violence, rape or murders. I know the obvious answer is, basically, to be visible. Unfortunately, those crimes are not often committed in the presence of officers compared to someone driving drunk. Anyhow, not meant as an argument as much as it was meant to inform.

 

Zero.

 

yeah, gotta agree with 'noitall' that the bigger problem is the way cops pursue the dui's. the methods they use are what's known as ILLEGAL. i understand 'illegal' is a word that doesn't hold the value it used to - at least not at the federal level (the're not ILLEGAL aliens, they're 'undocumented workers') - but it's still an important word when understanding the law and the processes law enforcement need to follow in enforcing it.

i get pulled over ad nauseum whenever i return to scottsdale,arizona over the holidays to visit friends and family. not only during december, but during spring training for baseball in march, national holidays, and drinking holidays (st patty's, cinco de mayo, mardi gras, super bowl, etc). if you are on the road after dark during any of these times, in scottsdale, you're getting pulled over. not getting pulled over isn't even an option. they don't even bother with dui checkpoints, they just pull everybody over. it's insane. i can assure you that you've never seen anything like it in your town. cop cars with flashing lights parked behind a car they pulled over, another fifty feet ahead - the same scenario, on the other side of the street coming the other direction - the same scenario, on the next block, the block after . . . it's crazy.

i don't just throw out a "no" response to "do you know why i pulled you over?" when i get pulled over there. i go off on the cops. i've got nothing to lose. all of my information is current, my vehicle is pristine, and i did nothing wrong. "do you know why we pulled you over?" "yeah! because i'm on the road after dark in december and you MF'ers are pulling everyone on the road over. it's total BS,it's unethical, and it's illegal. i've been back in town for two nights visiting family and i've been pulled over THREE times! i'm effin' sick of it! i keep getting pulled over and you guys keep on creating some random BS answer as to why you pulled me over and it's absolute nonsense. i JUST pulled out of a parking lot and onto the road and you pulled me over immediately. i didn't even have time to do anything wrong. pray tell, why did you pull me over?" "uh, you turned really sharp and you were driving in the bike lane." "hahahahaha!! driving in the bike lane?! you guys rock. un'effin'believable. i appreciate what you guys are doing, i get it . . . " "(them interrupting) yes, we're dui task force." "no shlt! look, again, i appreciate what you guys are doing but can you do us all a favor and act with integrity and within THE LAW? this isn't nazi germany. you're not the SS. you can't just do random sweeps. you can't just pull everyone over. you have to have CAUSE. call it a night, take all your little boyfriends in blue home for the night, and go read up on the law. 'cause right now you're breaking it." "have a good night sir. be safe." "F.U.! i AM being safe!"

i can assure you when you get pulled over three times in two nights, six times in a week . . . it gets really old, really fast.

like noitall mentioned, they 'tag' cars in bar parking lots. i never heard of the bumper thing but in az they mark cars' headlights. and, yes, they park directly across from bar's parking lots and follow people out of the parking lots and pull 'em over first chance they get (or until they get bored and pull 'em over anyway). and, yes, straight from a guy i know whose father and uncle are both cops, the dui task force gets compensated thru commission. the more arrests, the more money they make. so, yes, it's a 'cash cow.' and obviously it brings in A LOT of revenue if the dui task force officers get a cut of it. still, you think what they pay cops outweighs what the offender pays the state? bahaha. the offender pays the court costs, an outrageous fine, alcohol classes, traffic survival school, the jail, etc . . . the cops are being paid regardless of what they're doing. but speeding tickets don't bring in the big bucks.

if you're not familiar with az's dui situation, just watch any national tv station. eventually you'll see sherrif joe arpario, pink boxers, and tent city.

if you lived in that state and ever spent time in scottsdale, you probably have a dui. even people who just passed thru have stories to share (vince vaughn, mike tyson, nascar's jimmy johnson, charles barkley . . . just to name a few).

to whoever mentioned blood samples having higher BAC levels than breathalzyers - yeah. obviously. the time it takes to go from being pulled over to going to a hospital to draw blood, more alcohol will be absorbed into your system.

i'm all about getting drunks off the road, i'd just like to see law enforcement approach it legally and ethically.

 

damn- 6 times in a week? I too would be going postal.

 

Bingo. That's basically where I'm coming from. Law enforcement throws a huge net over the community with these DUI checkpoints and other BS methods and while they nab a few REAL offenders too many innocent folks are harrassed and have their rights trampled on in the process. With that said I know this isn't Steeler related so I'll stop bitching about it now

 

Cut the bastidge... :?

 

Follow the money, it's pouring in!

Pun inteneded

 

Yes, I know this got away from the original post but I suppose you can still stretch it to be related. As to noitall and Wanderer...I am sorry that you have had the experiences that you have and I do not police in the states where you live so I wont begin to argue that you are stretching the truth. I know that this stuff happens and I know that people can have bad experiences. I can only tell you what goes on where I live and that the standards here are different. If officers here tried the headlight or taillight trick and got caught they would be fired. I guess the police here have a different philosophy about policing (not that they are perfect here either). As for the glory stop thing, noitall, I now understand what you mean by it and I can see where you are coming from. I appreciate people's perspectives on this issue. I am now done preaching on this subject.