State courts are supposed to bring justice to DUI offenders. Violators should have the book thrown at them to the extent of the law, so there’s no reason the men and women who comprise
Alabama’s Supreme Court should do anything to make penalties softer for those who choose to risk the lives of others because of their repeated ignorance. But they did.
Last Friday, Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled that drunken driving convictions in municipal courts do not count when determining whether the repeat offenders have the minimum of four DUI convictions that could send them to state prison.
Sure, Alabama’s state prisons are crowded enough, but there’s no reason why we should soften penalties because our corrections system cannot provide enough space for the offenders.
Previously, municipal convictions counted toward future cases. By state law, fourth and future DUI convictions are treated as felonies, which can result in 10 years in the slammer. The court said the law applied only to state violations and not those in violation of city ordinances.
What should it matter?
A drunken driver is a drunken driver whether he or she is weaving on a city street or along Interstate 85.
An alcoholic beverage is an alcoholic beverage.
A failed sobriety test is a failed sobriety test.
When the courts begin compromising these issues, then the courts lose their strength and those who violate the law are given breaks.
In this case, the system failed.
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