Fort Drum Prints Photos After Arrests for D.W.I.

The NY Times ^ | March 8, 2008 | LISA W. FODERARO

[stentorian conservative]

The newspaper accounts included regiment information and blood alcohol content. Silhouettes were used when photos were not available.

[eleni121]

A local view

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20080215/NEWS03/680460904

[fightin kentuckian]

When it comes to punishment in the Military I find that commissioned officers usually get off with a lot less compared to enlisted and NCOs.

I noticed that the story didn’t mention any captains or majors being put in the paper. I wonder if any commissioned officers convicted of a DUI will make the front page at all.

Sorry, but that’s always been a sore spot with me and military.

[truth_seeker]

“No one should ever be humilated like this until they are convicted.”

My local town paper lists DWI arrests. No pictures. Just name, age, and residence city.

In other news, a person was convicted of 2nd degree murder, for crashing into and killing a woman riding a motorcycle. He had multiple priors for alcohol offenses.

He was sentenced to 15 years to life. Can we humiliate him now?

[varyouga]

You have a good point, if they are found innocent the paper should then publish their photo explaining they were innocent and apologize to them. Better to wait until found guilty then do it.

Yea right. They never remove anything unless you sue them.

I know people found not-guilty but if you look up their name on google, the papers write as if they were convicted.

A friend of mine was wrongly accused of drug dealing, found not-guilty and the paper still says he is a drug dealer on the website. They just quoted law enforcement which was calling him a dealer as if he was guilty before the trial.

[eleni121]

I wonder if any commissioned officers convicted of a DUI will make the front page at all.

---

You are right - they won’t! It is a sore spot to lots of vets.

[Digital Sniper]

Thoughts?

It's about time. We here in Arizona already make certain of public shaming of those who see nothing wrong with driving under the influence.

See Stop DUI AZ for info and photos of the drunken perps.

[MississippiMan]

He fixed nothing! He has humiliated these heroes. He has allowed the drive bys access to the personal issues of our heroes. To satisfy his own ignorant frustrations.

How do you know the general has "ignorant" frustrations? Did you read the article? Sounds to me like he put a great deal of thought and concern into it before making his decision.

As for the guilt issue, it doesn't totally evaporate but when we're talking DUI it is considerably different. Reality is that you're not arrested until after you've failed a sobriety test.

Drunk driving is an innocent-killing scourge on our society and should be punished by far more draconian measures than this. And our soldiers should be BETTER role models, not worse.

MM (in TX)

[Balding_Eagle]

He was sentenced to 15 years to life. Can we humiliate him now?

He's been convicted. He should be executed, not just humiliated and imprisoned.

[fish hawk]

The Pilgrims knew how to do it. Remember the pictures of a guy with his head and two hands locked in a wooden stock and put right on a walkway for all to see.

[Abathar]

"There is a huge difference between public record and publishing record."

True, but I lost a cousin to a drunk driver with multiple arrests back in the early eighties. I really don't have much sympathy for people who choose to drive drunk, Just one more thing they know will happen if they get caught.

[mysterio]

Guilty until proven innocent. Paper should not do this before trial. Poisons the jury pool.

[StolarStorm]

Yes, he was convicted. There are a decent number of people that do get falsly accused of crimes. Sometimes as a result of a simple mistake, sometimes as a result of pissing off a cop in a personal matter, sometimes as a frame up. A lot of cop fanatics don't want to admit that it happens, but it does all the time.

Why the heck should people's names be dragged through the mud until they have had a chance in court to defend themselves????

Other countries do not allow the names of the arrested to be released until a conviction. I think that's a just and fair requirement.

Imagine if you will, how YOUR life could easily be destroyed by one false accusation that gets publicized. It almost happenned to me so I know how it goes.

I had a stalker with LEO connections that was trying to ruin me every way he could. He filed all sorts of false charges against me. He ended up in jail thank god, but it was close. He almost got me arrested. Luckily I kept great records of his activities (like emailed death threats and such). People deserve a change in court to defend their name before they get destroyed in the press.

[StolarStorm]

You are assuming that each one of these soldiers was really DWI. False arrests happen ALL the time.

[Abathar]

Well.... In a perfect world it would all work out I guess. Most people don’t give a cr*p about anything that doesn’t directly effect them, this is true.

[mouse_35]

Since he was CONVICTED, YES!!!

[eleni121]

I stand by my comment - ignarant frustrations - General.

Instead of releasing their pictures -— The General should have publicly and in the strongest language told those idiots in Washington to pony up support - that means dollars - for the mental and physical well being of our heroes. Take the money out of global anything and put it into our military.

And I do agree that Driving Drunk is a scourge. This is NOT the way to deal with it.

[Abathar]

Don't get me going on public flogging and stocks, I have been an advocate for that for years to deter repeat criminals.

forty lashes for a second offense at drunk driving with the notice that next time it will be sixty lashes if caught would reduce repeat offenders by a huge margin IMHO but since we are a "civilized" nation it will always just be a dream.

[fish hawk]

Remember a few years back where an American kid spray painted on somebody's nice cars in China and they cane whipped him so many lashes. The American press went bananas over that as it was sooooo barbaric. We are surrounded by liberal pussies.

[stentorian conservative]

I'm sorry about your Cousin. Truly.

This is a problem in our Country. But the problems don't begin and end with a set of keys. From how we determine a persons ability to drive after drinking all the way to the other end of the spectrum with punishment and deterrence--the whole system is flawed. This article simple emphasizes a "grasping at straws" effect that can do more harm than good.

[Abathar]

Your right, then the captions should read what he is charged with only, not the fact he was guilty. If he blew a 2.0 or failed a roadside sobriety test, or refused the test at all then all that should be put on the caption so people can have a better idea of why he is being charged if they are going to do it before his trial.

Like I posted earlier I lost a cousin who was a great mentor to me back in '81 to a repeat drunk driver so I tend to side with the "I don't give a d*mn about his feelings" crowd when it comes to people caught doing it.

I however would rather they waited until he had his day in court so only those FOUND guilty are the ones who are shamed, I do believe in innocence until proven guilty and understand mistakes do happen.