An Ohio man was recently arrested for drunk driving, marking his 12th such arrest. According to reporters who obtained the man's arrest records, the 58-year-old man has a long history of DUI arrests dating back to 1983. The man reportedly works as a truck driver.
Reporters say the man has been convicted on every arrest thus far, with the most recent two incidents resulting in felonies. The suspect's most recent conviction was in 2010, for which the man served two years in prison. Additionally, the man was forced to forfeit his vehicle and pay a $1,350 fine. Police say his license also should have been suspended for three years following the conviction, but claim his license was active at the time of his most recent arrest.
Police pulled the suspect over near Route 22 in late January, although it is unclear why he was stopped. Officers say the man refused a field sobriety test. The officers then arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence and took him to jail. It is unclear whether the suspect underwent a toxicology test.
Some individuals have called for harsher punishments for the man, arguing that license suspension is ineffective at preventing drunk driving. Prosecutors say they hope to convict the suspect and see him face a serious sentence. Prosecutors said the man faces a maximum sentence of a $10,000 fine and five years in jail if he is convicted. Additionally, his car would be confiscated and his Ohio driver's license would be revoked for life.
But perhaps the more important question that people should be asking is what is causing the man to act the way he does? Clearly multiple stays in prison have not cured him of an alcohol abuse problem. Is there more that we could be doing for people then just throwing them in jail and forgetting about them?
Source: WLWT.com, "South Lebanon Man Gets 12th DUI Arrest," March 13, 2012