Re: Texas man gets life sentence after third DWI conviction
I can't say that I am overly sympathetic to this man. Every time he got behind the wheel he could have wiped out innocent people. He obviously didn't learn his lesson the first two times, and if he didn't get life in prison who's to say that he would have learned after his third time? And if he was still out there, drinking and driving, who knows what would have happened during his 4th DWI? Perhaps it would have occurred after he killed an entire family after smashing into their vehicle head-on. I would prefer him to remain in prison for the rest of his life than for that to occur. And someone who gets nailed with a DWI 3 times in more than likely to continue to do so, so the odds were good that it was only a matter of time before a fatality would occur.
I know two guys that had impaired driving charges much more numerous than three. One had
between 10-12 & the other in the teens...oh yeah...& a third I guess in the teens. All three to
the best of my knowledge are all clean and sober at this point in their lives after decades of
run away alcoholism.
One is a brother of mine, and he was in & out of corrections so often that he was known on a
first name basis there, and they'd just set everything up for him when they'd see his name on
the list of prisoners arriving. He'd get dropped off, deloused & changed into prison garb, handed
a broom, etc...and would start working, and wouldn't even see his cell 'till the end of the day.
It's sad. Some can handle booze, and some just can't at all. Two of the three above I know well
and had the same pattern. Once any booze was in their system, they didn't need food or sleep
and could go for days with just booze. One of them drank himself into a coma on several
occasions, had 30+ feet of burned out intestines removed over the years, had family called in
to sign the paperwork to shut of life-support several times only to come out'a it to go and get
drunk again. Hellish existence for themselves and all around them. All three found bottom way
beyond where anyone else would think bottom must be, & are clean and sober today.
Life sentences for three strikes on DUI's? That's pretty heavy based upon the justification above
of "
could'a" in that a drunk
could'a run someone over but didn't....as they all happen to be equipped
to have also "
could'a got someone pregnant" or whatever. I'm not sure where I stand on this issue.
Above was mentioned a CHIP in their livers that would immobilize a vehicle once they where behind
the wheel (an electro magnetic pulse perhaps, seeing as everything is computer reliant now?), and
as far fetched as that sounds, I think it's not that far fetched though the answer might be a technological
one but less extreme and closer to Breathalyzer type machines factory installed someday in all vehicles
that're less intrusive than today's versions.