Judge Felts: Indiana man of conspiracy

We all like hearing stories about celebrities and politicians screwing up. In America, it's fairly common to hear about scandals, corruption and crime. Here is the saga of Thomas J. Felts, Allen County, Indiana Circuit Court Judge. Mr. Felts has sentenced hundreds of DUI offenders to a controversial program called AADP (Alcohol Abuse Deterrent Program). This program administers a drug called Antabuse, a drug thats causes serious health problems. More on Antabuse in a later post. Let's get back to the wonderful Judge Felts. Here's what happened that July night in Indy:

At around 2:30 am on July 18, 2008, Mr. Felts was stopped in Indianapolis for speeding and not using a turn signal. As they pulled him over, he put his car in reverse and backed in to the police car. The officers noticed his speech, appearance and the smell of alcohol and suspected him of driving drunk. He failed the field sobriety tests and weakly blew into the breathalyzer machine. His BAC was .14, almost twice the legal limit. When they got him back to the station, he tried to conceal his BAC by not blowing long enough in the machine and by burping into it. According to the cops, that was like refusing a test, which gets your license suspended for a year. So they took his license away and charged him with DWI (thats what they call drunk driving in Indiana). He pleaded guilty to the charges and received a suspended sentence of 1 year in jail. He was also put on probation for a year, had to pay a fine of $700, had his license suspended for 90 days and was ordered to get treatment. He was also "reprimanded" by the Indiana Supreme Court for his actions.

This story proves that if you're famous or you are in Government, you can get away with much more than your typical American!!!! A judge who deals with DUI's gets one and is essentially given a "slap on the wrist", not to mention that he is still currently on the bench. So getting back to regular American Joe: He gets a DUI and his life gets ruined. This hypocrite gets one and it's business as usual. Am I crazy, or does that seem a bit unfair to me???

A bloody conspiracy

Some police departments across the country are implementing a new tool in the "war" against drunk driving. Police in Texas and Idaho are being trained to draw blood from suspected offenders. The program, sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, would let police forcibly draw blood from persons suspected of driving drunk. The program is in a trial stage, but if it is successful, it could be implemented across the country. So basically this means that even if you refuse a breathalyzer test, the cops can and probably will draw blood from you. The sad thing is that taking blood by force is perfectly legal. The US Supreme court said that the cops can use force to get your blood, without a warrant, as long as they have reasonable suspicion that you've been driving drunk. Not only is this another invasion of privacy, these tests could possibly convict the wrong person. The vials of blood could get mixed up or they could be improperly stored, causing the blood to ferment and make the alcohol content higher. Another issue would be an officer who was improperly trained drawing blood from somebody, causing injury and possible medical malpractice. Most cops have no medical or paramedic training, so I would feel very uncomfortable having a cop stick a needle in my arm. I hope this study goes down in flames. If it is successful, you can kiss more of our civil liberties good-bye.

S.U.I.: Sleeping under the influence

Apparently you can also get a DUI if you sleep it off in your car. In 2007 a man was convicted of a DUI after he was found sleeping in his car with it running and in park. The man told the cops it was cold outside (it was February in New Jersey) and he left it running to stay warm. Well, to make a long story short, he was arrested and convicted of DUI and had to pay over $4000 in fines and costs. In most states, having "control" of the vehicle means being in it, even if you're in the back seat sleeping it off. In other words, you don't have to be driving the car to get busted. Now common sense would tell you that if you think you are too drunk to drive, don't drive. I would think that people would appreciate it if you chose to pass out in the back seat instead of driving home. Yet if you are found passed out in your car, even though your keys are not in the ignition, you will be slapped with a DUI. The cops can also arrest you if your car is broke down and inoperable. So that means you can't go to the bar and wait for the tow truck without risking a DUI. So what is next?? Will the cops arrest the guy who is sitting at home drinking because he may decide to drive?? As crazy as this sounds, sleeping in the trunk may be your best solution. Most newer cars have a release lever inside the trunk in case you become trapped inside. It may be uncomfortable, but it's better than a DUI conviction!!!