Bob_Ward's Blog

My neighbor was arrested on his fourth offense in April 2006, while driving on a restricted license. He blew a .21 on the breathalyzer test. He spent a few weeks in jail until someone finally posted bail. While awaiting trial (for the last two years) he continued to drive. In April of this year he was arrested on his FIFTH OFFENSE and was held without bail. Today I read in the paper that he will serve a total of 2 years (less the 31 days of time served) Only 2 years!!! I though that the law had mandatory sentences for repeat offenders - sentences that are longer than 2 years for 4th and 5th offenses. Was I wrong? If so, I feel that the law is not working. It obviously failed to keep this person from reoffending (while he was awaiting trial!)

Bob,

Yes, I think the stats prove it's workng. Keep reporting!!! It will diminish the potential of Melanie's Law being diluted!!!

I have 2 DUI's and I just recently had the intoxalock machine installed in my car. My DUI's were before Melanie's Law came. I try my hardest to explain to people how serious this is and they do not listen. They laugh and joke about it. I have gone through so much because of my mistakes. I completed all my programs, completed probation, paid all fines and now have the machine for two years. It's been a long process and I can say that I have learned my lesson. I will never make that mistake again. My last DUI was in 2004. It's taken this long for me to get the machine in. I will be going to get my license back soon. It's very scary to even think about driving again. I can say I never hurt anyone in my DUI's...thank god.. but I have hurt my family because of it. Things are better now but people treat me badly. I try and get the word out but people joke about it...WHY? They don't understand the seriousness. That hurts me that people will not listen, I think we need to get the word out more, have them try out the machine and see what it's like. The amount of money that I am spending on this is serious, people do not understand. I hope this story is heard everywhere. I can tell you that the system has worked for me and I hope it will work for many more people. I don't understand how people in my area are getting away with 3-6 DUI's! I didn't get a slap on the wrist, I have paid for my mistakes and I still am. I hope you can get everyone to listen!

Drunk driving, child abuse, etc. - Why isn't the first
offense the last offense? In any situation where there is the possibility of serious injury or death to anyone, there should be no second chances.
Most people don't pay enough attention to these issues until it touches them personally, and then it's too late.
The laws in Massachusetts need to be changed to make
the punishment fit the crime - drunk driving is equivalent to attempted murder, and it should be
punished accordingly.

Bob,

I find it hard to believe you're not the most exciting guy out on the town. You may not be putting yourself or anyone else at risk, it's the other person who doesn't care about drinking and driving, that's the person who's putting everyone at risk. It's the person who doesn't care about drinking and driving that's the problem.

dear jonsmom, I agree with you thats why I said for the first offence a loose of licence for only 6 months, not forever, but maybe during those 6 months of taking a bus or a train he or she will have time to really think hard about getting behind the wheel after just 1 or 2 drinks for the most part most people who are not alchoholics will learn there lesson and never do that agian , but for an alchoholic you could take away his licence and they still wouldnt learn!!!Its the disease of addiction that makes them think that they are invincable and nothing bad could ever happen!! until it is too late, so its up to us to really put a stop to drinking and driving , do whatever it takes to not let anyone drive drunk or even buzzed>> start by having non alchohlic partys< or tell the person to call a cab and either take away their keys or drive them home!! when we host a party its our responcability to make sure our guests do not drive home after ANY drinking, try having a designated driver for the occasion and if the person is to stubborn then call the police !!!!! I would rather have someone mad at me than dead or kill another person or family ,when we look the other way when we see people getting into there car after drinking its like saying its o.k. just because we dont want to get "involved" < how many times have weve seen people we know get behind the wheel after drinking and have not said a word ???? thats a crime in itself!! Im not trying to be a killjoy but driving drunk is simply STUPID And we think hey as long as im not getting in there car its not my bussiness? but

Jonsmom,

I do believe in giving a person a second chance. However, what if the person who was driving drunk killed someone because he/she was driving drunk? How do you give the person who was killed a second chance? And what about both families, how do they cope with this for the rest of their lives? How many chances do you give someone before they seriously hurt someone or even worse actually kill someone? What about the person with multiple DUI’S, what should happen to them?

You can have a million laws on the books, the problem is enforcing them. These laws have got to be enforced to the maximum in order to see a drop in drunk driving. People who drink and get drunk don’t think their drunk they think their just fine and don’t see driving as a problem, until they get into an accident, now it’s a problem, and a very big problem.

Jonsmom,
It's always easier to judge when you're not involved. That's true of anything. However, killing someone should be punished by a very stiff sentence. I'm not saying throw away the key, but there needs to be a serious penalty. And you know what, if I ever drove drunk in the past and was lucky enough not to kill someone, then God was looking out for me. However, if I did kill someone when driving drunk, I would expect a severe punishment with substantial jail time.

You can put me in the "holier than thou" category if name calling makes you feel better, but the truth is,
if someone makes a "mistake" and kills someone, should they get off because it was their first time and they deserve a second chance? I don't think you'd go for that if someone killed your loved one on their first
time out. Sounds to me like maybe a loved one has been on the driving drunk end of things and maybe that's why you feel the way you do.

Unfortunately the rest of my post was deleted due to length, so here it is. Any death is tragic regardless of how it happened. The problem isn't that the laws are not tough enough, it's that the judges don't enforce them uniformly. It's called the eenie, meenie, meinie, moe way to decide who gets tough punishment and who walks. I've seen it first hand. People who should have been on the fast track to lock-up, skated away out the front door. So the people to be mad at are the judges. There is a reason why we have 10,12,15 time drunk drivers, they don't care and nothing will change that. It's unfortunate that the only one really being punished is Joe M. Public who stood up and took the punishment and now is being persecuted again for the idiot that could care less. Myself and many others are unemployed and virtually lost everything because of how hard it is to get and keep a job when you can't even get to the interview. The two reasons why there are only 3000 recorded as having the device is 1.can't afford it 2.the biggest reason-the rest are driving around without it until they get caught and guaranteed the day they get out of jail they will be driving again. So how do you stop them short of cutting their hands off?? And for the rest of us who have more than paid, when does the punishment outweigh the crime?

I think people are confusing the issues here. If someone is arrested for a DUI there is supposed to be a pre-determined mandatory punishment. But if someone kills someone because they are driving drunk - they are charged with "vehicular homicide" and that charge is usually much more severe.

To those of you who have been honest enough to admit to your charges, thank you for doing so. And could you please help me understand why my neighbor will only serve 2 years for his 5th offense (see second entry on this blog) Thank you