Recently, a police officer was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated in upstate New York. The officer was not on duty at the time of the arrest.
To some, a police officer being charged with a DWI is shocking. Even more so when you consider that this officer likely initiated numerous traffic stops that resulted in a DWI. Some may also find this surprising because an officer should know, first-hand, the consequences and stigmas that come from a DWI conviction. This knowledge should also, in theory, prevent an officer from driving drunk.
Perhaps the officer felt impervious because he knows what officers look for in drivers suspected of being intoxicated. It was also not clear what the officer’s intentions were for driving drunk, but the possibilities present two interesting scenarios.
The first scenario is that the officer made the mistake that many people do: believing they are okay to drive after drinking alcohol. Some people, including most first time offenders, may not realize how a few drinks put them over the legal limit.
The second scenario is that the officer drove knowing full well that he was over the legal limit, and knowing full well the consequences. Stories such as this one certainly throw a wrench in the idea that harsher DWI laws act as an effective deterrent to drunk driving.
If an officer of the law, who theoretically knows the ins and outs of what a DWI entails, still chooses to drive, then it certainly suggests that tougher laws are not going to stop those intent on driving drunk, regardless of increased consequences.
The exclusive purpose of this article is educational and it is not intended as either legal advice or a general solution to any specific legal problem. Corporate offices for Nave DWI Defense Attorneys are located at 432 N. Franklin Street, Suite 80, Syracuse, NY 13204; Telephone No.: 1-866-792-7800. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney Advertising.
