Public intoxication stings catch 2,200 in Texas bars

chron.com ^ | 3/23/06 | Anne Marie Kilday

[takenoprisoner]

More than 2,200 people have been arrested in Texas bars in the six months since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced a crackdown on public intoxication, primarily targeting bars.

The arrests included people who were drunk in bars, who sold alcohol to a drunk person, or a drunk employee on the premises of a bar or restaurant with a license to sell alcohol, said Carolyn Beck, a spokeswoman for the TABC.

The commission has been responsible for enforcing the state's alcoholic beverage code for the past 70 years. In August, 2005, the agency announced it was beginning a crackdown on public intoxication, using both undercover and open operations.

The agency has used undercover agents before, Beck said. In a recent operation, agents infiltrated 36 bars in a Dallas suburb and arrested 30 people for public intoxication.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

If you want to get stumbling drunk, do it at home. Why is that too much for you?

[dirtboy]

But they were drunk in public. IT'S THE LAW.

The law is more than that. They have to be a danger to themselves or someone else as well to be arrested in Texas. Or at least that's what the statute says.

[fanfan]

Ping

[ExSoldier]

The arrests included people who were drunk in bars, who sold alcohol to a drunk person, or a drunk employee on the premises of a bar or restaurant with a license to sell alcohol, said Carolyn Beck, a spokeswoman for the TABC.

I'll bet they were all strip clubs. That way they could bust the girls, for drinking all their shift with the customers. I don't know this from personal experience you understand, but that's what I've heard...

[Junior_G]

They didn't get enough of them!

We have a FReeper laying in a Texas hospital fighting for his life as I type this.

He was hit by a drunk driver yesterday as he stood waiting to cross the street.

I have a coworker whose cousin was shot and killed a few years back. Because of that incident, my coworker now believes that all guns should be banned throughout the US.

Emotional opinions stemming from tragedies tend to be some of the least valuable.

[eastforker]

No breathalyzer needed for PI charge, just the opinion of the arresting officer.

[Centurion2000]

More than 2,200 people have been arrested in Texas bars

Can you say class action suit?

[Junior_G]

Furthermore, it's not unheard of for people to drive to a bar and then get a cab home after having too much to drink. There is NO defense of what those bastards did in Texas.

[ProfoundMan]

Well, by your rational maybe we should just shut all the bars down, is that what you would like to see?

Isn't that pretty much where we are already? You can't smoke in a bar and now you can't drink in a bar without worrying if you have too much (based on a comparatively subjective measurement designed to generate revenue). What's the point?

Better to stay home and drink and smoke until they make their way there too (in about what, a year or two?)

[Junior_G]

If you want to get stumbling drunk, do it at home. Why is that too much for you?

Freedom trumps your puritanical sensibilities. Why is that too much for you?

[steel_resolve]

What if they have a designated driver? Or if they get so drunk, they decide to walk home? I am suprised you're for this when it is happening in your state.

[Arrowhead1952]

See other responses at yesterday's thread. One thing I heard on the morning show on KLBJ this AM, by the laws in Texas, the TABC can arrest anyone for "Public Intoxication". Bars at hotels are considered "Public places". IMHO, that is a stupid law, and needs to be changed.

Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk

Here is my reply to stacytec last night

[Labyrinthos]

All 2200 of these people should plead "not guilty" and demand a jury trial. The burden upon the court system would be astronomical in both time and money. Add in the overtime costs for all of the arresting LEO's to testify at trial, and you can bet that the elected politicans will start to feel the heat, particular when the well-connected or their spouses or progeny are caught in a sting. In a matter of weeks, the judges will start tossing cases with the consent of the prosecuting attorney, politicians will give the SLA an earful for wasting tax dollars, and the SLA wil go back to doing what it does best, which is nothing.

[LambSlave]

Freedom is much more important than safety. I'll take my chances with freedom.

That presumes that there is anywhere left to go to find such freedom. Is there anywhere left?? I travel a lot, and I'd say we are rapidly running out of places... nearly everywhere there are thousands of laws in effect that curtail freedom, and now they have the budgets to enforce every technical violation, often without a right to a trial.

[fhlh]

I can only think of that Ron White bit.

"Officer, I was drunk in a bar... I was THROWN into PUB-lick"

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

It's horrible to think that people are drinking and getting drunk at bars. This must be stopped. I propose banning alcohol and cigarettes in all bars. We'll still be able to tax the sale of them, of course. But people will have to stay home.

Next we'll ban reading in libraries. Can't have all that eye strain going on. We'll still tax people to fund the libraries and you'll still be able to check a book out. But no reading in the libraries.

What else can we work on? How about you can't express a political opinion on a Blog? Yeah. That'd be perfect.

[Hang'emAll]

How do the police know for a fact that they are drunk? Are they coercing people to take a breathalizer? Are people who are not driving threatened with loss of liscense if they don't submit to a breathalizer?

Actually I was told by someone that got busted in the scam that more than 3 or more beers was suppose to be the way they knew. Of course, I was on beer 5 or 6 when I was told this so I may not remember the details correctly.

[steel_resolve]

excellent point. I would refuse, let them arrest me and then hire a lawyer.

[Millee]

Good point!

[Roccus]

Heard this on a local radio show this AM.
Police somewhere in VA would wait outside a watering hole. People in their cups were seen leaving the bar and entering taxis for the ride home. The police would follow the cab. When they got out of the cabs to walk to their homes, they were cited for public intoxication.