DUISearch results for category: Oklahoma DUI
Possible Change in Oklahoma Boat DUI Law
Governor considering measure regarding drunk boating in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry is considering a new law that would make drunk boating more in line with driving under the influence in Oklahoma. The legislation would lower the legal threshold for intoxication for boat operators from .10% to .08%. That is currently the standard for determining drunk driving in OK.
Sponsors of Senate Bill 902 say that boats are motorized vehicles and that drunken boat operators can be as dangerous on the water as on the road. The measure passed both house of the state legislature and is now being reviewed by the Governor.
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Legislator Files Bill for Tougher Oklahoma DUI Laws
Plan calls for seizure of vehicles after felony offense for drunk driving in Oklahoma.
State senator Harry Coates has filed legislation calling for stronger penalties for driving under the influence in Oklahoma. SB 1014 would require those convicted of felony DUI to forfeit all vehicles in which they have ownership. The state would then sell the vehicles, applying any proceeds to a drug abuse education and treatment fund. The defendant would be responsible for all costs associated with the seizure, such as wrecker and storage fees.
Currently Oklahoma DUI law calls for suspension of a driver’s license for up to 6 months if a motorist has a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of .08%. There are fines of up to $5000 and possible prison time, community service and mandatory alcohol treatment. Sen. Coates feels that the current laws do not deter repeat offenders and thus wants to establish harsher consequences.
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'Penis Pump' Judge Nabbed for Oklahoma DUI
Former district judge charged with drunk driving in Tulsa area.
Donald D. Thompson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Tulsa Oklahoma last Friday. The 62-year old former district judge made headlines in 2006 after being caught masturbating and using a penis pump while conducting court.
An Oklahoma State Patrol trooper spotted Thompson's vehicle stopped along side the road at 2:30 in the morning. The officer reported that the ex-judge had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and there was a strong odor of alcohol. Thompson told the trooper he did not know why he had a flat tire and damage to the driver's side of his vehicle. It was later determined that he had hit a bridge wall. A breath test revealed a blood alcohol content of .11%, above the .08% legal limit for intoxication in Oklahoma. Thompson was booked at the Tulsa jail on charges of Oklahoma drunk driving. He was released after posting a $1000 bond.
Thompson had been a judge for 22 years when he was caught masturbating. He was convicted of indecent exposure, fined $40,000 and sentenced to four consecutive one year terms. He spent over 8 months in jail before being released for good-behavior. Thompson said he used a penis pump to masturbate during four trials between 2001 and 2003, though he denied using the device while on the bench. He was required to register as a sex offender and he was disbarred by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
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Oklahoma Highway Patrol Has New Tool in Drunk Driving Detection
Handheld device will be used to check for driving under the influence in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State Highway Patrol troopers are being given hand-held breath testing equipment to check for drunk drivers. Called a Preliminary Breath Test device, or PBT, an officer has a suspected intoxicated motorist breath into a plastic tube. The device then determines the blood alcohol level of the driver. If the equipment reveals a BAC above the legal limit the officer will then proceed with an Oklahoma DUI arrest.
The machine gives four responses; Pass, Alert, Failed and High. The Alert indicates a small presence of alcohol, Failed indicates a BAC of .08 to .149 and High reflects a BAC of .15 or higher. Under Oklahoma DUI law, the latter would qualify for charges of aggravated DUI. Prior to the issuance of the hand-held devices, State troopers would conduct field sobriety tests. A drunken driving suspect would then be taken to a county jail for booking and asked to submit to a breath test using the Intoxilyzer 8000. While the new device are approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as evidentiary breath testing equipment, the Highway Patrol will only use it to determine suspicion of driving under the influence, and still rely on an Intoxilyzer test for evidence that can be used in court.
The new equipment provides a lightweight, hand-held device that is easy and convenient to use in the field. Thirty-two of the $400 devices have been issued to Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers in Bryan County.
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Former Quest Exec Booked for Oklahoma DUI
Jerry Cash arrested for drunk driving in Oklahoma after accident.
Jerry Cash, former CEO of the energy company Quest was arrested in suburban Oklahoma City for drunk driving. He left the scene of a crash and caused four more accidents before being stopped.
Cash reportedly was involved in an accident near NW 63 and N. Western around 1:00 pm Sunday. While leaving the scene he collided with a second vehicle. The second crash was witnessed by a Nichols Hills officer who pursued Cash. Cash crashed into three more vehicles at the intersection of NW 63 and N. Grand Boulevard, and was finally apprehended.
Cash was booked at the Oklahoma County jail on charges of drunk driving in Oklahoma, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to obey a traffic control device. He was released after posting a $3,500 bond.
Cash, 46, is the former CEO and Chairman of three Quest business entities, Quest Resource Corp., Quest Energy Partners and Quest Midstream Partners. He resigned last August during an investigation of transfers of $10 million to other Cash controlled entities.
If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Oklahoma City, you will need to hire and OKC DUI lawyer for help on your DUI charge and driver's license hearing.
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Oklahoma DUI Boating Bill Fails in State Senate
Legislation would have made boating while drunk same as driving under the influence in Oklahoma.
A Senate bill failed in committee that would have made the penalties for boating while intoxicated the same as drunk driving in Oklahoma. The measure also called for a boating infraction to count against a person’s driving record.
State Senator Bill Brown voiced surprise in the bill’s failure. Records indicate that boating accidents involving alcohol are on the rise, accounting for about 27% of all accidents last year.
Opponents had problems tying a boating under the influence charge to driving under the influence, clarifying that a license is not required in Oklahoma to operate a boat. Other stated that the law was not drafted well, contradicting even the author’s original intent.
Boating laws vary across the United States. According to the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, a drunk boating incident does not affect one’s driver’s license in most states. In Indiana, however, a boating while intoxicated charge could lead to suspension of a driver’s license, and vice versa. Alaska treats boating under the influence the same as drinking and driving.
Senator Brown plans to re-introduce the legislation next session.
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Oklahoma DUI News: Oklahoma Law Would Strengthen Boating Under the Influence Violation
Penalties would be similar to a Oklahoma DUI in a car. Boating Under the Influence violations would be added to driving records in Oklahoma.
An Oklahoma state senator has introduced legislation that would strengthen the impact of a boating under the influence (BUI) violation. The goal is to reduce the number of alcohol related boating injuries and deaths that occur on Oklahoma lakes and rivers. While boating under the influence is illegal, under current law the consequences are relatively minor.
Senate Bill 1140 calls for the penalties for boating while drunk to be the same as drunk driving in a motor vehicle. The bill’s author, Bill Brown, has stated that watercraft are just as dangerous as automobiles and the punishment for boating while drunk needs to be more severe.
Under the new law, a charge of BUI would be added to a motorist’s driving record. Multiple drunken boating violations would result in felony charges, with increased fines and mandatory attendance in an alcohol evaluation program.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, alcohol is involved with 20% of boating related fatalities. Brown indicated that boating is very popular in Oklahoma, and the state ranks in the top half of the nation in alcohol related boating accidents and fatalities.
If the bill is passed by the Oklahoma legislature and signed by the Governor, it will go into effect in November 2008.
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Oklahoma Considering Special Drivers License for DUI, DWI Offenders
New legislation in Oklahoma by Rep. Scott Inman would require DUI and DWI convictions be noted on drivers license.
Rep. Scott Inman with the Oklahoma State House of Representatives has filed a bill that would require Oklahoma Drivers Licenses to note whether vehicle operators have any DUI or DWI convictions on their record.
The effort to reduce drinking and driving would call for the notation to be placed on the drivers license after a first DUI conviction and remain on the license for four years. If the offender does not receive another DUI or DWI conviction in Oklahoma in that time frame, the designation would be removed.
In addition to alerting a law enforcement officer who stops a motorist, the author of the legislation hopes that bars and nightclubs requiring photo identification would realize that the patron has a history of driving under the influence.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol-related accidents where the motorist had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of .08% accounted for one third of the total traffic fatalities in Oklahoma.
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