Actually more than 8 prior convictions but 8 were used as evidence in this trial including 2 prior felony DWI convictions.
Posted on 10/29/2010 8:21:11 AM PDT by Buffalo Bob
CONROE, Texas — Montgomery County jurors sent a message that drunk driving in the county will not be tolerated.
George Harvey, 59, was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after a jury thought eight convictions for driving while intoxicated was too many to let him back on the streets.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
He should have been sentenced to life in prison at the 5th conviction. latest!
He should have moved to NM, he might have gotten probation.
Mike
I expect the sentence will be overturned on appeal. This does seem to be the only way to keep repeated drunk driving offenders off the roads, though, because they’ll just drive anyway, without license, insurance or registration.
Maybe [because] he was a DEMOCRAT congressman? Nah, if he was he would have got a raise, a new car and house.
If this was a muslim country, we would just cut off his hands and feet so he can’t drive anymore. Optionally, I guess we could poke his eyes out so he can’t see to drive, but then he might get one of those Chinese cars that can drive itself, but I guess that would be okay.
In what way?? I mean death penalty is too stiff.
Have you ever known anyone killed by a drunk driver??
I agree if it was a first offense it would be too much, but by the 8th time, he got what he deserved.
I agree completely. Although DUI is stupid behavior and should not be tolerated, there's no way to justify a sentence usually applied to murderers if no harm was done to anyone, even it it was his 100th offense. This reeks of 'Minority Report' and should never happen in a free society.
Mike
I wonder how the judge would feel about the guy who racked up 20 DUIs in Minnesota?
http://jonathanturley.org/2009/12/29/minnesota-man-racks-up-20th-dui-offense/
I agree with you. Life for a DWI is crazy. 8th or not..
He should have moved to Massachusetts where he would likely have been able to become a member of the legislature.
Sounds like a white guy - no minority would get that sentence.
More info at Houston Chronicle
On April 3, 2009, sometime around midnight, Harvey got behind the wheel of his pickup after spending the day drinking at a friend’s house on FM 1485, near Kings Road in New Caney. As he pulled out of the driveway with his headlights off, Wanda Medford, who also had been drinking, plowed into his pickup, according to police.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7267393.html
Yep. And when he kills somebody, we’ll all shrug and say, “Gee, somebody should have stopped him a long time ago”.
You are right, Mike. They should wait until he has killed someone, or better yet a whole family!
There’s no way to argue it. Drunk driving is something people don’t want treated too harshly lest they get busted themselves.
They should have given him 20 years.
That would have been a completely just punishment for his recidivism, and it would have effectively been a life sentence anyway.
Actually more than 8 prior convictions but 8 were used as evidence in this trial including 2 prior felony DWI convictions.
America actually has pretty lenient drunk driving penalties, --even among many Western countries.
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