That above Boss reference in today’s post headline might be unclear to some readers of our criminal law blog entries, but certainly not to scores of millions of rock and roll fans.
Legions of people across the world have paid firm allegiance to Bruce Springsteen for decades. The veritable and enduring rock icon has demonstrated true staying power, while additionally cultivating a noted public image.
That image spotlights perseverance, positivity in the human spirit and civic responsibility.
Candidly, it has never been linked with impaired behind-the-wheel behavior, despite a handful-plus of Springsteen songs celebrating roadway freedom.
And that is why many of the rocker’s fans expressed puzzlement and even disbelief in news reports from late last year chronicling Springsteen’s arrest and linked criminal charges alleging drunk driving and reckless driving.
It turns out their wonderment was well placed.
Moreover, it was confirmed just last week in court. A federal judge dismissed the charges, noting that his review of Springsteen’s driving record went back nearly half a century. The judge stated that, “Rarely would you see a driver’s abstract so devoid of any [adverse] entries.”
Police officers say that they saw the entertainer consume one shot of tequila and then then prepare to drive his motorcycle on a federal park road. Their report stated that Springsteen “smelt strongly of alcohol … and had glassy eyes.” He was also reportedly “visibly swaying back and forth” and failed a sobriety test.
That evidence was materially called into question by one revealing fact, namely, Springsteen’s notably low blood-alcohol content of .02%. A level four times higher than that is required to meet the legal threshold of drunk driving.
Springsteen settled his case, paying a $500 fine for consuming alcohol in a closed federal area.