In bar arrests?

[TransAmaniac]

I just wanted to know your thoughts on the recent events going on in VA.
As some of you may know, police have been staking out bars INSIDE and arresting patrons for DIP.
MANY people have been filed suits.
Many cases have folks being arrested even though they have a DD and even bachelor and bacheloette party goer's have been taken to jail.
The purpose has been to try and curb drunk drivers but I think this is totally wrong.

[Stump]

DIP? DD?

[metallicat]

I am assuming drunk in public and maybe drunk driving?

[mcsap]

I wait outside of bars and always use proper PC for my stops. Actually, I usually sit just down the street so I can't be seen from the lot.

Had a joker leave the other morning at 0100 hrs , pull up to a traffic light with no lights on, burn out and go past me ( parked and unmarked) accelerating past 60 mph in a 25 zone. Finally caught up to him. Was a .208 BAC, crack pipe, open containers, only way to turn on lights was by plugging together the factory wiring harness and same for starting the engine !

All is fair in love and war and any way I can get another DUI off of the road is a good one. Ask those who have been injured by a drunk driver or th efamily members of those killed. I was hit by a drunk while on duty ! ( in a marked car)

[txinvestigator1]

DID=Drunk in Public Public Intoxication as it is known some places.

DD= Designated Driver.

TransAmaniac, Why do you think this is totally wrong? Are the LE agencies also making cases against the bars? Do you have a link to some further info?

[Hightower]

I don't see how you could file suit. The city or local government is in charge of issuing liquor licenses. Part of the governments job is to make sure the liquor laws are being followed. That includes underage enforcement, illegally serving obivously intoxicated persons, serving after hours, etc...

But, we don't have a "Public Intoxication" law here.

Hightower

[zander_zye]

Originally posted by TransAmaniac
I just wanted to know your thoughts on the recent events going on in VA.
As some of you may know, police have been staking out bars INSIDE and arresting patrons for DIP.
MANY people have been filed suits.
Many cases have folks being arrested even though they have a DD and even bachelor and bacheloette party goer's have been taken to jail.
The purpose has been to try and curb drunk drivers but I think this is totally wrong.

I agree, this is totally wrong as goes against the purpose of DIP laws (to keep drunks off the street). Had they been walking down the street, that is one thing, but to be in a bar is another thing altogether.

I will tell you something that really made my blood boil a while ago. In the 80's, there was these two men who had tipped a few too many at a local pub so they decided to walk home. On the way home, they were both hit and killed by the Mayor who was DUI. The Mayor got a reduced sentence because the two drunk men (who were actually doing the right thing by walking home instead of driving) were jaywalking and were hit by the drunk b------. I think that if you are drunk, no matter what other circumstances, you should automatically be found 100% at fault. My SIL was hit in her vehicle recently and although it was the other guys fault, the cops listed her as fault because she blew a 0.11. (oops).

[txinvestigator1]

I partially agree with you Zander.

I don't think that DIP laws, or PI laws as they are in Texas, are meant to keep drunks off just the street. Here, a person commits an offense if they appear in a public place ( a bar is a public place) while intoxicated and to the degree they may endanger the person or another.

Also the alcoholic beverage laws in Texas make it illegal for an intoxicated person to remain on the premise of a bar.

It is also illegal to serve alcoholic beverage to an intoxicated person. The server can can be arrested.

I do agree about accidents and DWI. Although your example and following comment seem to be incongruent.

The mayor (drunk) struck two pedestrians (also drunk) so by your reasoning, all should be at fault. But I guess in a fatality involving more than 2 drunks the survivor gets convicted.

[zander_zye]

The Mayor actually served no jail time at all.

(I guess it pays to be Mayor)

[Zendik]

In New Orleans, a place where they have 24 hour bars and you can walk down the street drinking, they raid the bars before Mardi Gras every year to nail the local cocaine dealers before the festivities. It's quite a seen as they come in force blocking all exits, everyone is patted down and IDs checked at gun point. If you make it through that it's on to Mardi Grasin.........

[mcsap]

We have a good public drunk law , max penalty is $300 and or 90 days. Walking drunk is better than driving but they still shouldn't be outside.

[JudgeDredd]

As a former Liquor Control Officer, I guess I've gotta chime in here. When I worked a bar/nightclub/etc. it was always undercover or at least soft clothes. when dealing with "quality of life" issues (public intox and the like) all I had to do was spot the knuckleheads and follow 'em around until they made the "overt act," which could be as little as ordering another drink. Here in St. Louis, the licensee is responsible for the conduct of thier patrons on the premises. If I got say an underage drinker, the kid, the bartender, and the manager or the owner could go down. usually, this sort of thing was just a summons release, but they all could be booked with a maxium fine of $500.00 and 90 days in the workhouse. In addition to this, the license itself was also called in to answer civil charges. The reasons for this type of enforcement are as follows; A drunk pedestrian is a danger not only to him/herself, but also to the public. they could wander into traffic, they attract Murphy Artists, Prostitutes, car Clubbers, Drug Dealers, etc... into an area. You get an increase in all of the above activities as well as fights (add alcohol, get instant a@sh#%e) public urination, noise, and onand on. Here in St. Louis, and this varies state by state, a liquor license is a privledge, not a right; and yes, if you are of age you have a right to consume alcohol, but you do not have a right to serve those who will lesson the quality of life for those around you. A good example of this was back in 2001, we had one of our outstanding citizens named ADrian Bowman who was wanted for 3 murders and suspected in four others. He takes off for NYC, only to get busted for drinking on a public street outside of a bar that had been giving the NYPD problems. If local law enforcement is spending more time around and in certian bars, it's because they have gotten complaints and arrests from these areas. Like my partner you to say, you wouldn't go fishing in a pond that was unstocked, would you?