[Vision2020] Sobering Thoughts

Sat Dec 30 15:30:55 PST 2006

If you read the Public Records in the Daily News then you know that both the LCSD and the MPD have been making many DUI arrests.  They deserve our since thanks and sincere appreciation.  It only takes one negligent act by a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs to horribly affect many lives.

If you drink and drive, perhaps the following two articles may influence your behavior.

W.

     Saturday, December 30, 2006 

Costs of DUI can add up fast 
Offenders face jail time, interlock device, fees

            Washington State Patrol Trooper Devyn Derrick of the DUI unit questions a 21-year-old driver from Nevada Friday after he made a U-turn on Trent near Progress in Spokane Valley. The young man was just lost and not suspected of DUI. (DAN PELLE The Spokesman-Review ) 

Taryn Brodwater and Sara Leaming
Staff writers
December 30, 2006

The costs of a DUI arrest last longer than a happy buzz from a New Year's champagne toast and hurt more than a hangover headache.

All told, a night of drunken indiscretion behind the wheel of a car can cost thousands of dollars, not to mention the embarrassment and challenges that come with a conviction.

If it's not the first time a person's been caught driving drunk, or if their drunkenness results in an accident, hurting others or damaging property, the penalties and costs of a DUI arrest increase exponentially.

"Most people end up paying for a DUI for the rest of their driving career," Idaho State Police Capt. Wayne Longo said. "To an insurance company, it's a red flag."

.Know your limit: The blood-alcohol limit is 0.08 in Idaho, Washington and every other state in the nation. How many drinks before you reach the legal limit? That depends on a number of factors, including gender and weight. It could be as few as two or three drinks in an hour. 

"It's based on your level of impairment," said Trooper Jeff Sevigney of the Washington State Patrol. "If you are taking prescription drugs that you are not supposed to mix with alcohol, maybe you only did have one drink. But that drink in combination with medication you are taking increases the risk."

.Behind bars: A DUI arrest could mean at least a night in jail, if not more. Bail in Idaho and Washington for a first-time DUI offense is $500 minimum. In Idaho, bail for a second offense is $1,000. The amounts increase if the drunk driver is from out of the area or has a prior record, according to Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Linsey Mattison.

In Spokane County, most first offenders are released on their own recognizance. The bail range for a second offense could be $2,500 to $10,000, said Craig Gardner, Spokane County assistant public defender.

"It depends on how long ago the last offense was and how serious the new offense is," Gardner said.

.Getting towed: Expect to pay $300 to $500 for towing and impound fees.

.License suspension: Refusing to take a breathalyzer test in Idaho can result in a $250 civil fine and automatic suspension of a driver's license for a year. If a driver takes the test and fails there's no fine, but their license still will be suspended for 90 days, Kootenai County Magistrate Barry Watson said.

There is no civil fine in Washington for refusing a breath test, but it's an automatic one-year license revocation. A second refusal within seven years means a two-year revocation. Adults with a blood alcohol content above the 0.08 limit, and minors registering 0.02 or greater can expect a 90-day revocation of their driver's license.

.Interlock device: Since 2004, Washington courts require anyone convicted of a DUI to have an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle for at least one year. It costs about $70 a month.

.License reinstatement: Once your license gets taken away, you'll have to pay to get it back. License reinstatement fees charged by the Idaho Department of Transportation are $180 for a DUI. In Washington the fee is $150, plus proof that an interlock device has been installed.

.Representation: Attorneys will likely ask for a retainer before they'll represent you in court, an upfront cost of at least $1,000.

.Court costs and fees: A first-time offense in Kootenai County could cost $750 in fines and court costs, with a sentence of at least a couple of days in jail or, in the alternative, participation in the county labor program. If a judge allows work release in lieu of jail, there's a fee associated with that, too.

In Washington, court fees are included in the mandatory minimum fines, which go up with the level of intoxication. Minimum fines for a person with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 are a minimum of $866 for a first offender and $1,971 for multiple offenses and can go up to $5,000. There is also a standard probation fee of $420 and a per-day fee for work release.

.Evaluations and treatment: North Idaho judges typically require a substance abuse evaluation, at a cost of $60 to $100. If treatment is recommended, the costs can range from $100 to $1,000. Treatment is mandatory in Washington, and costs are determined by the court, Spokane's Gardner said. In Washington, an outpatient program typically costs $2,000.

"It gets very expensive," Idaho's Watson said.

     Saturday, December 30, 2006 

Convict's experiences are precautionary tale 
            By the numbers 
            17,000: The number of drunken driving arrests by Washington State Patrol troopers from January to October 2006.

            199: The number of fatal car collisions in 2006 through October.

            37: The number of fatal crashes involving DUI arrests through October.

            727: The number of injury crashes because of drunken driving through October.

            Source: Washington State Patrol

Sara Leaming 
Staff writer
December 30, 2006

Anyone thinking about drinking and driving this New Year's holiday should meet Joseph Goggin.

The 36-year-old Spokane man is incarcerated at Geiger Corrections Center, where he'll be until sometime next year.

After three drunken driving convictions, Goggin spends his days with hundreds of other men labeled as criminals, some of whom made the same choice he did - got behind the wheel after a few drinks.

"The thing about DUIs is they never go away," Goggin said. "They follow you around wherever you go."

Area law enforcement will be working overtime this weekend looking for impaired drivers who made the same bad choice. The New Year's holiday is a time when drinking and driving tends to spike.

"Or sometimes it's the one time a year when everybody does what we tell them to," said Trooper Jeff Sevigney of the Washington State Patrol. "Either way, our message is, go out and have a great time, but we just want people to be responsible."

Looking back, Goggin wishes he had been more aware of his actions.

He was on probation for his second DUI offense when he was pulled over in July. He was driving to his sister's home two miles away, to deliver a tent so his brother could go camping.

Goggin was arrested a third time, and as a repeat offender was sentenced to a year in jail. He lost his job in a sawmill, has been taken away from his 11-year-old daughter, and owes thousands of dollars in court fees. The fine alone for the latest arrest was $2,600. 

He will have an ignition interlock device - where a driver takes a breathalyzer to start their car - on his vehicle until 2011, and won't get his license back for four years after his release. 

Goggin will spend, and has already spent, many hours in alcohol and drug treatment - some of which he'll pay for.

And how does he describe his daily life in the minimum security facility?

"Smelly, loud . it's kind of like being in high school again, only with everyone being in detention," Goggin said. 

If he's lucky, Goggin gets to go outside to pick up trash on the side of the road. But each time he comes back, he has to be strip-searched. 

He also has to share space with criminals bragging about stealing cars or committing other crimes, some of whom only spend 90 days in jail compared with his 365 for drinking and driving.

"It seems so unfair, but I don't blame anybody because I made the choice," Goggin said. "I knew the laws."

Goggin has also sat before victims' panels, where those who have lost a family or friend at the hands of a drunk driver get to tell their stories, with pictures.

"It's really sad," Goggin said. "I think about my own daughter." 

According to the State Patrol, drunken driving is still a leading cause of car-related deaths. Of the 199 fatal collisions investigated this year, 37 of those involved a drunk driver, Sevigney said.

And laws for repeat offenders are about to get stiffer in 2007, when Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign a bill that makes a fifth drunken driving conviction within 10 years a felony. Right now it's a gross misdemeanor.

But even with stricter drunk-driving laws, the problem doesn't seem to be subsiding.

"We're well over 17,000 DUI arrests this year," Sevigney said. "That's up from last year."

Since November the WSP has been running a DUI emphasis patrol, which will continue through the first of the year in an effort to curb drunken driving.

Goggin lends this piece of advice for New Year's revelers who may be tempted to drive home after a few libations:

"Get a ride." 
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