While the following story didn’t occur here in Colorado, the subject at hand is still relevant no matter where you live. In this case, a person with prior DUI convictions was pulled over on Christmas Eve and arrested for driving under the influence. Considering the man’s prior convictions, he was charged with a wide array of crimes, many of them felonies. As a result of these charges, the man is facing an extensive list of consequences.
It was only a few weeks ago that we wrote about repeat DUI offenders and the immense penalties that they face. And just last week, we wrote a post about how the police are especially active and vigilant against drunk driving during the holiday season. This story ties both of these stories together in the most unfortunate way for that man.
Look, there is no doubt that someone who gets arrested for a drunk driving offense should do everything in his or her power to avoid drinking and driving again. Really, that lesson applies to everyone — but if there is one group that this especially applies to, it is someone who has already made the mistake before.
With that said though, these people face very serious consequences as a result of their actions. These consequences often make it very difficult for them to recover from the charge, and ultimately that’s what everyone wants, right? Permanently shunning people and making it impossible for them to recover from their past crimes is the antithesis of what the Department of Corrections is all about. These people need to be given a chance to rehabilitate and assimilate back into society.
Source: Register-Star, “Man charged with drunken driving after two priors,” Roger Hannigan, Dec. 28, 2015