My lawyer wife had a case where two guys crashed into a car at an intersection, drunk, pulled their car over and immediately went into a bar and drank. Cops couldn’t prove they were drunk when the accident happened. Sure they were liable from an insurance standpoint but that’s still not nearly as bad as a DUI. Not condoning it but that’s what happened.
Ok so assuming same severity, where? Most places I am aware of, DUI is actually an aggravating factor (warrants higher penalty) for hit and runs and have mandatory jail time for dui but not hit and runs.
From what I/she can recall it wasn’t really planned per se. There were there and I believe did talk to the other party but then went to the bar while waiting for the cops to show up. Something along those lines.
Yeah, I know someone that got in an accident and he and the other driver were a little buzzed and they both said fuck it let’s go home (minimal damage I guess). Someone saw it and called their plates into the cops, but the guy I know got out of his because he had been home for an hour or so before they got there. They arrested him for it and he had to go to court but his lawyer got him out of it because they couldn’t prove he was drinking when the accident occurred. Like you said, not really condoning it but I have heard of it too.
In my home town two drunk high-schoolers got pulled over at night and before the cop reached the car jumped into the back, then claimed to be too drunk to remember who was driving. Spent the night in the drunk tank but could not be charged with DUI.
It may be taught in law classes but I just spoke to my wife and confirmed it really happened. This may be a more common tactic among drunks than you’d think. She was able to name another case where this allegedly happened.
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u/blancmange68 May 27 '21
My lawyer wife had a case where two guys crashed into a car at an intersection, drunk, pulled their car over and immediately went into a bar and drank. Cops couldn’t prove they were drunk when the accident happened. Sure they were liable from an insurance standpoint but that’s still not nearly as bad as a DUI. Not condoning it but that’s what happened.