This article from Maryland is about a state legislator who was pulled over for a traffic infraction, smelled like alcohol and took a preliminary breath test that registered a .140, nearly twice the legal limit. After he flashed his legislative ID, the officer decided not to make an arrest and arranged a ride home for him. More interesting is that MADD is completely supporting the decision not to arrest. Of course, MADD is the organization that is normally pushing stricter law enforecement and lower legal limits all over the country. So, what gives?
The reason that the officer let the legislator go and that MADD is covering for the cop and the legislator is MONEY. The police and MADD both depend on legislators to earmark funds for them. So, when a legislator turns up drunk behind the wheel, he gets a ride home. Believe me, if anyone else reeked of alcohol and blew over the legal limit on a PBT they would be getting a ride to jail with handcuffs. Of course, the police and MADD also depend on the citizens they arrest for DUI for money, and they get a lot of it everytime someone is diverted or convicted of DUI. That is why the police always arrest anyone they suspect of drinking and driving. In fact, I have represented many people who blew UNDER the legal limit. They still got arrested and charged with a DUI.
I’ll bet you that this particular legislator who got a free pass on his DUI has voted for stricter DUI laws time after time. I’ll bet you that the next time the Maryland legislature considers tightening the DUI laws, raising the fines, and setting aside money for law enforcement and MADD, the police and MADD will remind this lawmaker that he “owes them one”. The Maryland story is one of the few times that the hypocrisy of MADD gets the light of day shone on it.