Posted on 07/01/2011 8:06:34 PM PDT by DemforBush
INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indiana Supreme Court ruling this week is a timely, cautionary reminder for Hoosiers who plan to consume alcohol over the holiday weekend.
It is possible to be charged with public intoxication, even while in a vehicle with a designated driver.
Police had arrested an Indiana woman who was drunk in the passenger seat of a car. The Supreme Court ruled that a public intoxication charge can stand against people in a car on a public street...
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
Is there any great public outcry for measures this draconian? It’s not for the sake of safe streets. MAAD (Mothers Against Any Drinking)
Ah, the Idahoan version of Chinatown. Do they want tourism?
Under this law you would be subject to arrest because you avoided driving your vehicle while intoxicated (DWI). Instead you'll now be cited for "Riding while intoxicated" (RWI)
I think we need to ban alcohol, its clearly nothing but evil... oh, wait!
To be honest, I don’t know what the ruling is based on. Is a cabbie any different than a party boat operator.......
Indiana was usually a reliably sensible state. What happened??
Not if the cabbie invites you to BYOB
What if the partyboat operator has the same rule, but a live band is playing and there is a 25 dollar cover............
If I want cheap Chinese shit I'll just go to Walmart. No point in crawling through all that razor wire.
HA! By Jove - you've got it!
The drunk drivers apparently have subsided -along with the arrests of said-drunk drivers and application of fees anf fines of said runk drivers
Therefore government entities must go the extra steps to secure their rightful ordained revenue.
Deviously Perfect Law - got you coming and going - whether you drove yourself there or not.....
Did you really think we want those laws observed?... We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system... that's the game"
Ayn Rand may be off on her stances on God, but she's dead-on-balls accurate about Government
I must admit, I agree with those conclusions.
Just imagine the “revenue enhancement” opportunities this can offer. Stop any cabs leaving a bar. Easy money.
It appears that most laws enacted are provisioned in such a way. To some measure. I have noticed a trend towards asset forfeiture. Laws seem to be enforced with the assessment of the dollar amount going to government coffers.
I guess passengers will have to be like having a gun in Illinois - unloaded and locked in the trunk.
couldn’t one just as easily be accused of vagrancy for failure to produce I.D., even though you are a passenger?
It is not illegal to operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated on your own property. If it was, I would be in trouble for mowing my lawn.
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws."
Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged
I agree. I would also state that people have a right to go get sloshed at a public establishment too, if they desire to. As long as they don’t cause problems for the establishment or other patrons, it’s nobody’s damned business but their own.
It is absolutely dumfounding to think you can get arrested for being drunk in the back seat of a car, no other contributing factors.
Basically then, its illegal to get drunk in Indiana. This is crazy. You have one too many, do the responsible thing and get a friend to drive you home, and you still get arrested.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.