About par for the revolving door drunk drivers we have here in New Mexico. There is a whole class of attorneys who do nothing but get charges dismissed or delayed so that judges have no choice but to dismiss them. The drivers are seen as victims rather than criminals.
I feel so sad for the families of their victims, and of the innocents who have been mutilated or killed on the highways. Such a senseless tragedy, and as you say much of it can be traced back to John Edwards' friends at the Trial Lawyers Association.