We strongly favor being hopeful for the future even though there are times when it’s difficult to find it in the day’s news.
One in seven Minnesota drivers has a drunk driving conviction on their record. That seems low, judging by this press release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, which details the folks the police were meeting on the roads over the holiday weekend. Read more →
Nothing, not losing a license, not jail time, not even losing most of her kids to the state, is likely to keep Tasha Lynn Schleicher, 41, of New Hope, Minn., from driving drunk. Read more →
When Tyler Johnson was told by a police officer in North Branch in November 2015 that he could be charged with a more serious felony if he did not agree to urine or blood testing because of a suspicion that he was driving under the influence, he was getting bad information. Read more →
Wisconsin is the only state that doesn’t treat first-time drunk driving as a crime and that apparently is the way it’s going to stay, the La Crosse Tribune says today.
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Presuming that most people aren’t big supporters of drunk drivers, one might think being less lenient on DUI offenders (1 in 7 Minnesota drivers has a DUI conviction) would be a slam dunk for state politicians.
So why is it relatively easy for people to still be driving after 9 arrests? Read more →
A Minnesota man who may have tested the state’s implied consent laws more often than any other driver charged with driving under the influence, has lost again at the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Under the law, authorities can force a person to submit to breath tests without a warrant by criminalizing their refusal to do so. But previous provisions for demanding blood or urine have been struck down. Read more →
Here’s a pro tip from upstate New York: If you’re arrested for DUI and you want to keep it on the down low, don’t buy up all the newspapers in the area carrying your mugshot. Read more →
The Minnesota Court of Appeals today ruled that you cannot lose your driver’s license for refusing to submit to a urine test for DUI if a police officer says it’s a crime not to.
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Football is knee-deep in hypocrisy when it comes to alcohol. Beermakers are major advertisers, teams play up tailgating and drinking, it’s a tremendous source of revenue at the concession stand, and when the game ends, only a fool would deny that a fair number of fans are getting in their cars hammered Read more →
The Minnesota Supreme Court today essentially enacted what the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this year, telling authorities if they want to get drunk drivers off the road by testing their urine or blood, they need to get a warrant. Read more →
One of every seven Minnesota drivers has a DWI. A new state reports reveals the demographics of Minnesota DWIs and shows big differences in county conviction rates. Read more →
The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that a search warrant that allows police to test the blood alcohol content of a suspected drunken driver can also target the use of drugs, even if there’s no probable cause to suspect drug use. Read more →
The U.S. Supreme Court today has struck down part of Minnesota law that forces people suspected of driving under the influence to submit to blood tests without a warrant.
At the same time, however, the high court affirmed a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that authorities can force a person to submit to breath tests without a warrant. Read more →
In this state where 1 in every 7 drivers has a DWI conviction, the crime is a big joke to even the people talking a good game about stopping drunk driving. Read more →
Bottom line to the rest of us: Stay in your lane when making a right turn. Read more →
Bob Collins