Record sentence for driving offence?

In the US a jury awarded a man some US$22 million as reparation following his arrest for suspected drink driving. The payout was made as the man was mistakenly kept in solitary confinement after the arrest and was then kept for two years behind bars. The man was arrested in New Mexico and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving with a suspended licence, possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and improper use of registrati
October 9, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
In the US a jury awarded a man some US$22 million as reparation following his arrest for suspected drink driving. The payout was made as the man was mistakenly kept in solitary confinement after the arrest and was then kept for two years behind bars. The man was arrested in New Mexico and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving with a suspended licence, possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and improper use of registration. But the case was not resolved for two years, when he was finally discharged as being incompetent rather than dangerous. During his stay behind bars he was even refused dental treatment, resulting in him having to pull out his own tooth. The authorities responded to the award for damages by pointing out that the man’s arrest record is 26 pages long and appealed against the jury’s verdict.

Related Content

  • Former French president, Jacques Chirac, dies
    September 26, 2019
    The news that former French president, Jacques Chirac, has died aged 86 should be of note for those in the road safety sector. His political legacy is well known. Chirac was prime minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and again from 1986 to 1988, mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995 and finally president from 1995 to 2007. But his political reputation ended under a cloud following his suspended sentence on corruption charges. Perhaps less well widely known however is that Chirac had a tremendously beneficial e
    Read More
  • The searchers
    April 11, 2013
    When a traffic policeman went missing in the Czech Republic his superiors quickly became concerned and started an intensive search for the man. A media campaign resulted in his photo being used in the press and also on TV, along with appeals for any information about his whereabouts.
    Read More
  • Fast explanation
    September 24, 2013
    A Canadian man in Alberta is thought to have set a world record for the flimsiest excuse for speeding. Canadian Mounties spotted the man driving at 180km/h and when they managed to stop him, he explained he was in the process of drying his car, as it had been washed shortly beforehand. His driving licence was suspended for 45 days while he was fined C$800.
    Read More
  • European police cracking down on drink driving
    August 19, 2014
    Police in Europe have been cracking down on drink driving with a major joint operation in 30 countries. Close to 1.2 million breath tests were carried out as part of this recent European operation. Police forces achieved 1,168,631 roadside breath tests for alcohol, of which 18,391 were positive. Motorists were also checked for drugs in the operation, and 2,976 offences were detected. President of pan-European police body TISPOL Koen Ricour said, “It is disappointing that so many people still think the law
    Read More

Highlighted Content