Starkville Mississippi DUI Statistics
June 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
In my last post I wrote how there seem to be a disproportinally high number of duis coming from college towns such as Starkville and Oxford, MS. So today I wanted to actually post a statistic.
According to the Starkvill Sheriff’s department and Starkville Police department, in 2007 there were roughly 340 DUI arrests made in Starkville. There is a rough population of 22,000 people in Starkville plus a student population of around 16,500. However many of those students are actually counted as both students and Starkville residents. So for this post let’s just assume that one-third of the student’s are also counted as residents. This would mean that there are around 33,000 people living in Starkville.
Using these figures (which are just rough numbers) we can see that out1 of every 97 people living in Starkville is arrested for a DUI each year. This is a staggering number.
To give you something to compare this against we can look at Memphis DUI statistics. Memphis has metro population of about 1.1 million people. Last year there were around 2,100 DUI tickets given in Memphis. That means that in Memphis 1 person out of every 523 received a DUI last year. That’s an enormous difference in the percentage receiving a DUI.
What this means is that you should be sure to not Drive Drunk in Starkville. But if you do make sure to request our FREE BOOK “How to Select a DUI Lawyer and MS DUI Defense Guide”. It let’s you know what questions to ask when trying to find the best dui lawyer to represent you. Just go to our contact page and request it now or call us at 888-323-1384.
Mississippi DUI Lawyers, “It just depends on how good of an attorney you get,”.
December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment
In an article running in today’s Memphis Commercial Appeal, Memphis Metro DUI Seargent Chris Jones huffs that when it comes to getting out of a DUI, “It just depends on how good of an attorney you get.”
The article in the paper also states that Since 2003, the Shelby County Attorney General’s Office has had a DUI Prosecution Task Force. That head of that task force is prosecuting attorney Charles Bell, who spent more than a dozen years prosecuting violent crimes.
Mr. Bell had this to say about prosecuting DUI cases, “I came to DUI, quite honestly, not realizing how difficult it is to prosecute cases,” he says.
The article goes on to talk about how Memphis and Shelby County are working together to try and crackdown on drinking and driving this holiday season.
At one point in the article the prosecutor is quoted as saying “You can be a little buzzed and be impaired” and follows that up by saying “On the other hand, I’m sure the defense bar will tell you it’s not illegal to have a drink and drive.” These quotes came in response to whether he thought the breathalyzer even mattered, which he apparently does not believe.
It seems that Mr. Bell thinks that anyone drinking and driving should be arrested for DUI. The problem is that it is not against the law to drink and drive. It is only against the law the be intoxicated and drive. There’s a big difference between the two, but I guess Mr. Bell doesn’t think so. In his opinion if you’ve had a beer and drive then you should be behind bars.
This is the type prosecutor and officer that you’ll be against when facing a DUI charge. Unfortunately they sometimes don’t care about the law, just about putting someone behind bars.
To read the full article you can click here.
To get a copy of the free report “The Unauthorized Guide to Mississippi DUI Defense” written by DUI Lawyer James Ferrell, just email us at info@lawferrell.com or call our 24/7 automated line at 1-800-546-2713 today.
Illegal Roadblocks and Checkpoints
November 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
HOLIDAY SEASON UPDATE During the holiday season, many local police departments and the Mississippi Highway Patrol will utilize roadblocks and checkpoints in order to reduce alcohol-related accidents and increase safety for all drivers on the roads. Many arrests and seizures will be made courtesy of these roadblock and checkpoints, but many of these setups will be found unconstitutional under both Federal and Tennessee case law. Moreover, because most government offices and public works are closed during the holiday season, it will be months before charges will be dismissed. Know your rights and avoid the holiday headache of an unfair and unlawful DUI charge. Always remember though, driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs greatly endangers you and other drivers on the road. Always drink responsibly and designate a driver.
SEARCHES AND SEIZURES Federal case law and the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protect citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. Case law decided under Article I, Section 7 of the Tennessee Constitution go even further to protect individual liberties. Under Tennessee case law, you have been seized by a law enforcement agent as soon as the blue lights are turned on. The officer must have probable cause and reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing before they walk up to your car. There must be individualized suspicion not generalized profiling. Always drive carefully and with your seatbelt on.
ROADBLOCKS AND CHECKPOINTS The officers involved cannot make the decision to have a roadblock or checkpoint nor can they decide for themselves the operating procedures. Valid roadblocks and checkpoints must have clear operational guidelines, be conducted under supervisory authority and for a compelling state interest. The purpose of the roadblock or checkpoint must be the actual stated purpose and not a blanket disguise to detect any criminal wrongdoing. Tennessee Department of Safety General Order 410-1 lays out the appropriate guidelines for the Tennessee Highway Patrol and serves as a guideline for local law enforcement.
- - Clear notice. This means not only notice on the road for advancing traffic but also notice to the local community at large. Watch your local news and listen to the local radio stations for advertisements and warnings.
- - Uniformed officers. Patrol cars with flashing lights must be present. Look for clear markings of which law enforcement agencies are present. Don’t open your windows or doors without being sure that you are in the custody of real law enforcement officers.
- - Safe and visible area. The goal of law enforcement is public safety. Hidden or concealed stopping points are unnecessarily dangerous to everyone involved, regardless of the precautions taken by the officer. Make sure your vehicle is clear of and clearly visible to the continuing traffic.
- - Stop all cars. Both directions of travel should be subject to the same traffic congestion. There must be no discretion left to the conducting officers.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS All public laws are created to protect and serve society as a whole as well as maintaining individual liberties. Conduct yourself as a good citizen and obey the rules of the roads. Good citizens do not deserve unnecessary intimidation by law enforcement trying to weed out the bad apples and increase revenues by writing expensive citations. Know the laws and your rights under the laws.
Have a safe and happy holiday season, and a happy new year!
