"Hank" wrote in message
m...

"P. Fritz" wrote in message
...

"Dr. Dr. . R. Name" wrote in message
...
Doug,
It is becoming normal for DUI violators to be charged with murder when a
death is involved. The charge might be murder in the 2nd degree, but
repeat
DUI violators who then have a DUI involving a death are being charged in
the
1st degree. I am aware of one person who received the death penalty for
a
DUI death.

I an not a proponent of the death penalty, but I am glad DUI is not
being
aggressively prosecuted.

But, I wish the pursuit would be of the high offenders, the mindset
here(at least in some communities) seems to be to turn it into another
cash
cow for the guvmint.....with overaggressive enforcement at the lower end
( high fines, "community service" counseling,...which drums up more work
for
the 'connected' while the multiple repeat offenders seem to be able to
get
away with it time and again. (one of my dock neighbors is a cop on a DUI
unit)



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
This situation won't change until more prosecutors are prepared to
charge
violators with murder instead of manslaughter, and put them away for
LONG
periods of time. I'm aware of one case where this worked (for
automobile
DWI). Just one. I'm sure it's rare.


And your cop buddy, if not him, has innumerable cop-buddies who are the
worst offenders, but they get away with their stupidity. It's usually
along the lines of, "Ok, brother, can you make it home from here?" or
"Just park your car over there and we'll give you a ride home." or "Let's
let your buddy (sometimes less drunk) drive the rest of the way." or "Give
me your keys and sleep it off. I'll be back at the end of my duty with
your keys."

I would love to see a zero tolerance campaign that is well publicized and
strongly enforced on the water. I know that the lakes I frequent don't
even have a sign, let alone one that people will notice, commenting on
drinking and boating. Then there's the good old resorts on the lakes with
their guest docks and the only reason people stop there is to get liquored
up before they get back on the water.

Yeah, stupidity, drinking, and boating put us all at risk, risk of serious
life-changing or life-ending consequences, even those of us who try to
have a safe boating experience. I have no compassion for the drunken fool
who operates a car or boat. But that's just me.

Frankly, I wonder why more drunks don't kill themselves, even with the boat
standing still. Along comes a wake, the boat rocks, off goes the captain
into the water. We can only dream. Personally, I take just one beer with me
when I go fishing, and plan on opening it only if the fishing has been
extraordinary. 99% of the time, that beer comes home unopened. :-(

Fritz,

The cops have no way who is the high offenders, but the one way to stop
someone from becoming a "high offender" (whatever that is), is to stop and
charge everyone guilt of DUI. The key to make sure these people do not
become a "high offender" is to make them attend a silly ass school, make
them do silly ass community hours, and give them a fine stiff enough to make
sure they don't make another silly ass mistake.

DUI, even at .08 is very serious.


"P. Fritz" wrote in message
...

"Dr. Dr. . R. Name" wrote in message
...
Doug,
It is becoming normal for DUI violators to be charged with murder when a
death is involved. The charge might be murder in the 2nd degree, but
repeat
DUI violators who then have a DUI involving a death are being charged in
the
1st degree. I am aware of one person who received the death penalty for
a
DUI death.

I an not a proponent of the death penalty, but I am glad DUI is not being
aggressively prosecuted.

But, I wish the pursuit would be of the high offenders, the mindset
here(at least in some communities) seems to be to turn it into another
cash
cow for the guvmint.....with overaggressive enforcement at the lower end
( high fines, "community service" counseling,...which drums up more work
for
the 'connected' while the multiple repeat offenders seem to be able to get
away with it time and again. (one of my dock neighbors is a cop on a DUI
unit)



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
This situation won't change until more prosecutors are prepared to
charge
violators with murder instead of manslaughter, and put them away for
LONG
periods of time. I'm aware of one case where this worked (for
automobile
DWI). Just one. I'm sure it's rare.

"Dr. Dr. . R. Name" wrote in message
...
Fritz,

The cops have no way who is the high offenders, but the one way to stop
someone from becoming a "high offender" (whatever that is), is to stop and
charge everyone guilt of DUI. The key to make sure these people do not
become a "high offender" is to make them attend a silly ass school, make
them do silly ass community hours, and give them a fine stiff enough to
make
sure they don't make another silly ass mistake.

DUI, even at .08 is very serious.

My point is that some communities have the mindset of quanitity nor
quality..........I would much rather have them patroling looking for the
driver weaving across lanes that blows a .25 rather than sitting around the
corner from the local pub waiting for the first car to pull out, or as they
do in some cases, road blocking.

DUI is serious, but it is not simply a matter of BAC..........it varies by
the person........
having had my dock neighbor cop m bring down his hand held unit to the dock
and test people during one of our dock parties, (the hard part was getting
people to not drink for 15 minutes so that the test would be valid) there
were some people who should not have been behind a wheel at .05, others
passed all the other sobriety tests at .10 or higher.




"P. Fritz" wrote in message
...

"Dr. Dr. . R. Name" wrote in message
...
Doug,
It is becoming normal for DUI violators to be charged with murder when
a
death is involved. The charge might be murder in the 2nd degree, but
repeat
DUI violators who then have a DUI involving a death are being charged
in
the
1st degree. I am aware of one person who received the death penalty
for
a
DUI death.

I an not a proponent of the death penalty, but I am glad DUI is not
being
aggressively prosecuted.

But, I wish the pursuit would be of the high offenders, the mindset
here(at least in some communities) seems to be to turn it into another
cash
cow for the guvmint.....with overaggressive enforcement at the lower
end
( high fines, "community service" counseling,...which drums up more work
for
the 'connected' while the multiple repeat offenders seem to be able to
get
away with it time and again. (one of my dock neighbors is a cop on a
DUI
unit)



"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
This situation won't change until more prosecutors are prepared to
charge
violators with murder instead of manslaughter, and put them away for
LONG
periods of time. I'm aware of one case where this worked (for
automobile
DWI). Just one. I'm sure it's rare.

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:16:05 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

This situation won't change until more prosecutors are prepared to charge
violators with murder instead of manslaughter, and put them away for LONG
periods of time. I'm aware of one case where this worked (for automobile
DWI). Just one. I'm sure it's rare.

I lost my sister to a drunk driver who was pleaded out to manslaughter
and served 6 months community service - 8 hours per week.

I agree with you entirely.

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:16:05 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

This situation won't change until more prosecutors are prepared to charge
violators with murder instead of manslaughter, and put them away for LONG
periods of time. I'm aware of one case where this worked (for automobile
DWI). Just one. I'm sure it's rare.

I lost my sister to a drunk driver who was pleaded out to manslaughter
and served 6 months community service - 8 hours per week.

I agree with you entirely.

30 years ago, I lost a friend who was a Nassau County (Long Island) highway
cop. He'd pulled over woman for some violation. A drunk came along, hit him,
and his gun belt snagged on the bumper. Dragged him for 3 miles until a
bunch of CBers who followed the guy somehow managed to round him up into the
corner of a parking lot. They said the driver fell flat on his face when he
got out of his car. His sentence: A year of mopping up in an emergency room.
Closed casket at the funeral. Not much left of the guy.

It's a credit to his cop buddies that the perp remained alive afterward. I'm
not sure I would be as charitable if he'd killed someone I loved.

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
A common scene on the water.

=========================================
from
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in711940.shtml



(CBS) People who would never drive drunk somehow forget that lesson when
it comes to partying on the water.

"We have cases where people have run into each other on jet skis while
intoxicated," says Judge Lex Anderson. "People have run into islands, and
people have been decapitated by propellers of boats."

Across the country, there are more than 5,000 boating accidents every year
and alcohol has a role in many of them. While California and Florida top
the list, The Early Show correspondent Hattie Kauffman reports,
desert-bound Arizona has some of the highest accidents rates in the
country. Many of those accused of OUI, operating a boat under the
influence, end up in court.

"The lakes now are just so jam packed, compared to what they were even a
few years ago," one judge says. "Just the volume of people coming in with
OUI tickets has just skyrocketed."

One of them was Angel Lindbergh, 19, convicted of manslaughter in the
death of her best friend.

"Because I was being irresponsible," she says, "My best friend is now
gone."
================================================== ===========

Make sure to view the video link at the upper left corner of the page.


I live 1/2 mile from the Fox River in Illinois. I had a boat on this river
for 1 season. The amount of fast cigarette type speed boats and drunk
drivers was staggering. Whats worse, the river is maybe 5 feet deep, at some
points, 150 feet wide. These guys drive their fast boats next to other
slower boats at speeds upward of 50 MPH. Needless to say I moved the boat to
some quiet Wisconsin lakes. Amazing how many bars are on the Fox.

Hey I am all about partying, but this is too much.

Ever been to Blarney's Island?

http://www.blarneyisland.com/



Dan J.S. wrote:
"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

A common scene on the water.

=========================================
from
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in711940.shtml



(CBS) People who would never drive drunk somehow forget that lesson when
it comes to partying on the water.

"We have cases where people have run into each other on jet skis while
intoxicated," says Judge Lex Anderson. "People have run into islands, and
people have been decapitated by propellers of boats."

Across the country, there are more than 5,000 boating accidents every year
and alcohol has a role in many of them. While California and Florida top
the list, The Early Show correspondent Hattie Kauffman reports,
desert-bound Arizona has some of the highest accidents rates in the
country. Many of those accused of OUI, operating a boat under the
influence, end up in court.

"The lakes now are just so jam packed, compared to what they were even a
few years ago," one judge says. "Just the volume of people coming in with
OUI tickets has just skyrocketed."

One of them was Angel Lindbergh, 19, convicted of manslaughter in the
death of her best friend.

"Because I was being irresponsible," she says, "My best friend is now
gone."
================================================ =============

Make sure to view the video link at the upper left corner of the page.



I live 1/2 mile from the Fox River in Illinois. I had a boat on this river
for 1 season. The amount of fast cigarette type speed boats and drunk
drivers was staggering. Whats worse, the river is maybe 5 feet deep, at some
points, 150 feet wide. These guys drive their fast boats next to other
slower boats at speeds upward of 50 MPH. Needless to say I moved the boat to
some quiet Wisconsin lakes. Amazing how many bars are on the Fox.

Hey I am all about partying, but this is too much.

"Dan Krueger" wrote in message
news
Ever been to Blarney's Island?

http://www.blarneyisland.com/


Yeah a few times... before I got married

I read in the "ABCs of California Boating Law" that 24% of boating fatalities
involve alcohol. That means 76% of boating fatalities do NOT involve
alcohol.

Statistically, I guess one is fater boating under the influence
than when sober.

:-^

(makes ya wonder)
b.

On 29-Jul-2005, "*JimH*" wrote:

(CBS) People who would never drive drunk somehow forget that lesson when
it
comes to partying on the water.

"We have cases where people have run into each other on jet skis while
intoxicated," says Judge Lex Anderson. "People have run into islands, and
people have been decapitated by propellers of boats."

DON'T mess with natural selection.