Posted by verne on May 22, 2006, at 18:56:05
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Prison_Population.html
It's amazing. Here, in Iowa, tens of thousands are arrested each year for the mysterious crime of "public intoxication" and the jails just keep getting fuller.
Funny thing about public intox. There's no breath test offered or required since "simulated intoxication" falls under the broad scope of this law. You not only don't need to be drunk to be arrested, you don't even need to have drunk anything! Virtually no probable cause is required for the police to stop a pedestrian.
Since this is a serious "criminal" charge, repeat offenders, people who walk home from the bars rather than drive drunk, get prison time - even years. Drunk drivers get a free pass.
I can't wait to get out of this place where it's a crime just to take a walk.
verne
poster:verne
thread:647062
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20060417/msgs/647062.html