Police State: Not Where You Expect: Texas

[Obama 2012 1,714]

So now for just driving down the fvcking road, you will be randomly searched?

WHAT THE **!

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http://cbs11tv.com/local/Texas.DWI.Laws.2.1795648.html

AUSTIN (AP) ― The Texas Legislature should consider changing laws intended to stem drunken driving to include sobriety checkpoints, lawmakers were told at a hearing.

"We need a consistent DWI policy across the state of Texas," said Sen. John Whitmire of Houston, chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

Texas had 1,269 deaths in alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2009, according to state figures.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo testified Thursday in favor of temporary sobriety checkpoints and mandatory blood tests for alleged violators. About half of Austin's traffic fatalities each year are alcohol-related, according to Acevedo.

"We are waiting way too long to intervene," said Acevedo. "If we can't intervene in people's lives, we can't change their behavior. It has to start with the first arrest."

Bill Lewis, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said innocent citizens already are subjected to random searches, such as when they enter the airport and, more recently at the Texas Capitol.

"I've never tried to sneak a gun through the Capitol or an airport, but I have to go through a checkpoint," said Lewis.

Legislators discussed redoing a DWI program that automatically suspends a driver's license, possibly repealing a surcharge that fines convicted drunken drivers thousands of dollars and creating new treatment programs for first-time offenders.

Lawmakers should consider repealing the Driver Responsibility Program, whose surcharges include a fee of $1,000 annually for three years for first-time driving-while-intoxicated offenders, said Whitmire.

The Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Sen. John Carona of Dallas, will review the program. The Texas Department of Public Safety is working on new rules for the program to ease the surcharges for lower-income drivers, said Carona aide Steven Polunsky.

DPS earlier this year said that Texas had sent out bills for more than $1.7 billion in surcharges through last November, but just $672 million had been collected.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This actually sounds pretty mundane. Haven't police always done this kind of thing?

[Marilyn. 340]

This actually sounds pretty mundane. Haven't police always done this kind of thing?

yeah that is what I was thinking too

[Obama 2012 1,714]

This actually sounds pretty mundane. Haven't police always done this kind of thing?

mandatory blood tests on the spot is what bugs me more than any of it...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Why? They already make you blow into a bag or give a urine sample and if you refuse you get done for the crime anyway.

How is a blood test significantly different?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Why? They already make you blow into a bag or give a urine sample and if you refuse you get done for the crime anyway.

How is a blood test significantly different?

because you can refuse those and just get arrested.

a few cities have already been testing the blood test idea. They don't just arrest you. They get a bench warrrant to force you to withdraw your blood right then and there at the scene.

[luckytxn 2,264]

A Democrat asking for legislation in Texas is the funniest part. Good luck with that.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

This actually sounds pretty mundane. Haven't police always done this kind of thing?

yes, they have

[peejay 327]

Texas used to have checkpoints, but the practice pretty much died out and it hasn't been seen here in a decades. It's probably why younger Texans are surprised to hear about this recent move. I really don't remember why they stopped doing it. I travel to Louisiana frequently and the practice is common there. They even print the names, addresses, and criminal charges of suspects arrested in their local newspapers. I've never seen that in Texas newspapers. At least none I read.

[IndigoSkies 168]

Blood test? Jesus Homer fvcking Christ! That does sound like a police state. Who's gonna draw the blood? The police officer? Are they going to be trained? Are they going to use properly cleaned method of drawing blood? What are they going to do with the blood sample? Keep it? Through it on the side of the road? What happens when someone gets AIDS?

Sensible people of TEXAS should oppose this law. I don't mind checkpoints as long. I mean it will keep the road safe and spare lives. Might even catch a few criminals while they're at it.

[Marilyn. 340]

Blood test? Jesus Homer fvcking Christ! That does sound like a police state. Who's gonna draw the blood? The police officer? Are they going to be trained? Are they going to use properly cleaned method of drawing blood? What are they going to do with the blood sample? Keep it? Through it on the side of the road? What happens when someone gets AIDS?

Sensible people of TEXAS should oppose this law. I don't mind checkpoints as long. I mean it will keep the road safe and spare lives. Might even catch a few criminals while they're at it.

I am thinking they are probably going to use something like what people with diabetes use where it just pricks your finger..

[peejay 327]

Blood test? Jesus Homer fvcking Christ! That does sound like a police state. Who's gonna draw the blood? The police officer? Are they going to be trained? Are they going to use properly cleaned method of drawing blood?

In Texas they beat you with a billyclub until the blood flows freely and then they mop up a sample. I'm not sure if they sanitize the club before the beating or whether it gets reused after.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

Blood test? Jesus Homer fvcking Christ! That does sound like a police state. Who's gonna draw the blood? The police officer? Are they going to be trained? Are they going to use properly cleaned method of drawing blood? What are they going to do with the blood sample? Keep it? Through it on the side of the road? What happens when someone gets AIDS?

Sensible people of TEXAS should oppose this law. I don't mind checkpoints as long. I mean it will keep the road safe and spare lives. Might even catch a few criminals while they're at it.

does this mean you're not a sensible person as you seem to support it?

[IndigoSkies 168]

I am thinking they are probably going to use something like what people with diabetes use where it just pricks your finger..

Still. I don't want to have to harm myself to comply with some law. However small the harm/pain might be. Noone should agree to this law.

[ValerieA 350]

I am OK with checkpoints, but I do feel blood tests are invasive, especially when they can just do a simple breathalyzer (I realize that is not as accurate as a blood test). If I were a defense attorney, I think I would jump for joy at the roadside blood test thing - how many will get thrown out because of poorly trained police officers? Unless they have an EMT riding with them to draw blood properly, and can prove the blood was stored at the proper temp, that the testing equipment was sterilized properly, etc. etc. it won't be allowed in court.