Quote:
Originally Posted by zing
how many drink drivers plead not guilty?
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Most of them, till they get to court and realise the Police haven't made a mess of the paperwork and they are going to get banned. They then change their pleas to guilty and get the discount on sentencing for doing so.
---------- Post added at 09:53 ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ
Ah right so there have been times when the police/CPS have not gone ahead with a prosecution? That's good I suppose but the reasons for it must be very stringent.
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Without getting too much into it there are still some times discretion is used. It is pretty rare, Drink driving is one of the things most cops go out of their way to do someone for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ
edit: hang on, not in the car but still be deemed in charge of it? How does that work?
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You can be 'in charge' of a vehicle in a variety of ways. Say you are a cop on patrol in an isolated area and see a car parked up. You speak to the driver and he's stinking of drink but there is nothing in the car and no-one has seen him drive there.
You can't do him with drink driving so he is done with being drunk in charge.
Its also used for cases when someone is about to get in a car after leaving a pub, if they drive off and hit someone or get involved in a pursuit everyone would be lining up to have a go at the Police for letting them drive so when they get into the car with keys in hand they get lifted.