PA drunk drivers watch out PennDot is out to get you!
Sep 21st, 2007 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, DUI-DWI-DAI (Drunk Driving)The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) and Pennsylvania police announce results of a recent impaired driving crackdown. Nearly 125 impaired drivers were taken off the roads last month during a one-night, concentrated effort by Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement agencies during a national, impaired-driving enforcement effort.
As a part of its three-week crackdown in late August, police conducted 19 checkpoints across the state on Friday, Aug. 24, using drug recognition experts to spot drivers with the symptoms of drug-induced impairment. Drug recognition experts conducted 21 driver evaluations that night, resulting in 19 arrests for impaired driving.
Overall, the one-night checkpoints produced 123 arrests for impaired driving and 460 other arrests and citations. More than 9,000 motorists passed through the checkpoints. The final statistics for the Aug. 15th to Sept. 3rd enforcement period are still being verified.
PennDOT annually provides more than $3.2 million in funding for DUI enforcement
programs.
The next impaired driving crackdown in scheduled for Oct. 26th to Nov. 3rd.
The author of this Law Blog, Bucks County PA & Mercer County, NJ criminal attorney, Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. of Saile & Saile LLP, Attorneys-at-Law practices both New Jersey and Pennsylvania criminal, traffic violations, and DUI/DWI/DAI law. Check out our website for DUI penalties. We handle all NJ Municipal Court cases including DUI in the following NJ Municipal Courts: Hopewell Township, Ewing Township, Trenton, Lawrence Township, Hamilton, Pennington, and other Mercer County, Burlington County, and Camden County, NJ courts. We also handle lower bucks county DUI and traffic violation cases in the following towns: Bensalem, Southampton, Richboro, Newtown, Levittown, Langhorne, Doylestown, Warminster, Trevose, Feasterville, Warrington, Bristol, Fallsington, Morrisville, Yardley, New Hope, Holland, Washington Crossing, PA, and other Bucks County courts. We handle DUI cases in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery County, PA. We are located just outside of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County.
Mr. Saile, I find it very hard to belive they pulled over and questioned and evaluated 21 people for driving under the influence of drugs and made 19 arrests.
Anyone can see this was an over zealous attempt to abide by an internal order!
19 of 21 is outrageous and could not possibly be right!
This reminds me of when I was a security guard at frequency engineering at age 19 in 1986. I was told by my superior to go around the grounds, 10 buildings, mini factories, and check the parking lots for cars without proper identification, as well as anyhting out of the ordinary or anything I thought was not “safe”. I did my job zealously that day, calling in over 50 incidents! Including a top of a hazardous drum not being secure on the grounds!
Although I thouhgt I did good as for the person supservising me that day, in fact I did a bad thing!
I created so much controversey they had me stay in the security booth after that during the day shift and not go on patrol.
I think it is possible that maybe this check point that found 19 of 21 drivers under the influence of drugs was maybe the same kind of thing. Officers following orders to the letter, being over zealous, where maybe many of the arrsts were actually not right!
19 of 21, that is an outrageous percentage. It does not pass the laugh test. Mr saile, do you really think 95 percent of PA drivers are on drugs? really, honestly?
Just for some background, frequency engineering in farmingdale NJ , is a US defense contractor.
No Jim. Drug recognition experts conducted 21 driver evaluations that night, resulting in 19 arrests for impaired driving.
A drug recognition expert is usually only called in when there is a person suspected of being high on drugs as opposed to alcohol. Due to the limited availability of these specially trained officers, they are not always available.
I believe in this case, they called them in only when the other officers already suspected a problem…
Many attorneys believe that Drug Recognition is junk/false science anyway…
Ok, so in 21 checks they called in an expert officer and wound up making 19 arrests, out of the 21 suspected cases.
Among the many things that I want to know about this report, these check points, I really want to know how many of the 21 people were of color.
I understand this is a little off topic, but it is relevant in today’s climate of Justice!
I am a white person, but I really find my inquiry important.
There were 2 big stories on CNN/news this past weekend. One was a white college student walking into Logan airport with a fake bomb, the other was a black teen in jail for 9 months for a school yard fight.
The white female who walked into logan airport witha fake bomb strsapped to het chest was let out on bail for 650 dollars, the black teen who conviction for assault was vacated, still sits in jail for 9 months and ongoing!
This is not the Justice I belive in, It is not American, and it is WRONG!
It is not the Justice US Citizens are fighting and dying for around the world.
How many of the stops at the checkpoint were of people of color and how many of the 21 were of people of color?
I need to know.
Jim