Simply put, he choose to walk out of the bar and get into his vehicle, with the keys in the ignition, sleepin it off. He had the option to call a cab, take a bus, have a DD, walk home or stay home and drink.

I got a DUI a couple years ago pulling into a motel check-in. I knew I shouldn't be on the road, and my full intention was to get off of the road and find a room to sleep for the night.

I tried explaining this to the cop but the bottom line was that I had been driving under the influence, so he had no choice but to arrest me.


$5,000 later, after having to go to DUI school, probation, group therapy, and pay another $1200 to have a breathalyzer lock out device installed in my vehicle...I definitely learned my lesson.

Now...if I'm gonna go out and drink, I make sure I have a designated driver or I'll just pay an insane cab fee...because in the long run it'll be a helluva lot cheaper than getting another DUI.

I have a stereo. In fact, I have several. How can the police assume that I will not blast any of them at 4:00 a.m. and disturb my neighbors? Should I be arrested because I have the means to break the noise disturbance law?

I've been known to wear sunglasses. Should I be arrested because people can't see if my eyes are shifting or not, possibly indicating that I may intend on doing something illegal?

I have enough cleaning supplies underneath my sink in my kitchen that I could possibly cook meth. Should I be arrested because I COULD?

Bottom line, it's taking a situation to the extreme without even considering any non-intention of any ulterior motives.

Not at all...in every State, if you are behind the wheel and passed out drunk, you are accountable...nuff said!

I was told in DUI school that technically (here in FL) you can get arrested for DUI just for being NEAR OR NEXT TO your vehicle. You don't even have to be behind the wheel.

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Whatever happened to probable cause? All that cop had to do was put his hand on the hood and he would know that that car hadn't been driven. Drivenmenutz has it right. What a good cop would have done. And while he wasn't wasting time getting an easy bust, he could have been pursuing an actual drunk driver who might actually kill somebody.

I didn't know that, even so with walking you still run a risk. In several states that is a criminal offense as well (DWI)...or as I like to call it, 'walking while intoxicated'. The law is a bit ridiculous in that area in my opinion, but I agree with the general idea of the drunk driving law. Though this one is odd to me, you would think they would promote what he did rather than criminalize it.

So tell me, please. What crime did he commit?

What about heat?

Yea I have heard that is the law. I guess if the keys are in the ignition it shows your intent to drive drunk.

or stay warm

if there is a collision in the parking lot they say sorry privare proberty we wont come to investigate but they sure will if they think there is money in it for them

it is a hypocritical way of handling things (oh yeah it is the govt)

D'oh! Maybe he can talk his way out of the DUI and just get loitering. I wish him the best.

Jimmy, don't get me wrong I'm sorry that your friend has gotten himself into trouble. However, I have no grey area when it comes to this sort of thing. He was drunk, in his car, and had the keys in the ignition. He broke the law simply put. Why didn't he take a cab home? Why didn't he have someone with him that could drive him home? He made the decision to go in the bar, get plastered and then didn't cover his behind. All of it could have been easily avoided if he had simply taken a cab, bus, had a DD, walked, or stayed home to drink. If it had been one of my friends, family, or even one of my kids, I'd feel no differently. You broke the law, you pay the price.

Sadly, it IS about the money.

he was on private proberty (asleep) if someone hit another vehicle on private proberty they refuse to come out (at least in ohio) thus they should not be harassing private citizens on private proberty (it is a pure case of having your cake and eating it too)

when the person in your neighborhood decides to drive home because the police hassle those that decide to sleep in the parking lot of the bar and kills a loved one of yours remember this thread

Obviously you didn't read any of my previous posts! I had a loved killed by a drunk driver. My 15 yr old cousin was killed by one in March of 1998. I also had a very close friend of mine killed in high school back in '83. Very big reasons I am so black and white about the whole issue. He broke the law plain and simple. you don't like the laws then u lobby your state to have them changed. I'm sick and tired of people lookin for loop holes when they break the law. You break the law then stand up and take the punishment.

sorry for your loss (maybe if they did not hassle those that sleep in the parking lot, maybe it would not have happened)

the d stands for driving

he was not driving (and was not on govt owned public proberty)

he did not break that law

that law is being applied unjustly

it could be considered public intox. i got plastered thursday night and still had the sense to call someone to pick me up. not to mention....something could happen to someone passed out in their car

Wisconsin munincipalities and cities have other ordinances also that play into trap and capture. Parking ordinances. And high beam laws. Intent is a money maker. Truth being told- its best to use better judgement from the get go. I got caught in an illegal speeding sting to round up revenue in sh!thole winnebago county illinois. I was going 45 mph in traffic and pulled over and given a ticket for 71 in a 55. I was like what the f*ck? Went to a courtroom packed with screaming people. I'm like what the f*ck is going on here? A guy looks at me and says "Oh, you don't know? They are building a new courthouse and need revenue, so they just start handing tickets out to anyone. Noone here was speeding. Everyone got an alleged ticket from an airplane which means noone gets to face their accuser". I plead not guilty, paid double the fine and court costs and got another fine for contempt of court for getting everyones attention in the courtroom and screaming out the federal marshals office phone number. That judge, prosecuter, states attorney, and state police commisioner should be all prosecuted like bernie madoff. Oh well, the f*cking piece of sh!t governor of illinois "Rod the bod" sure is getting his- aint he? 19 count federal indictment- 74 pages. Bye bye crooked f*cker. Let's see how the intent laws work in your favor you f*ck. Hope everyone goes down, right down to the crooked cops that f*cked me. Intent laws. Make a threat on someones answering machine in california- get 3 years federal prison time the next day. If it wasn't for stupid people using poor judgement we wouldn't have these intent laws shoved down our throats and up our heinies.

There are some states that have the drunk driving law as if you are behind the wheel and keys are in the ignition then it is considered driving drunk. I am assumin that is how the law is written in the state the man was arrested in. He made a life choice. It could have easily been avoided. Know your state laws, don't break them and you won't have to worry.