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

  • Using smartphones when driving is more dangerous than drink driving
    April 20, 2012
    Using smartphones for social networking while driving is more dangerous than drink driving or being high on cannabis behind the wheel according to research published by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) in the UK. Despite this, eight per cent of drivers admit to using smartphones for email and social networking while driving. Twenty-four per cent of 17-24 year old drivers, a group already at higher risk of being in a crash, admit to using smartphones for email and social networking while driving.
    Read More
  • Questions over effect of tough sentences for driving offenders
    June 17, 2014
    A UK academic claims that research shows higher prison sentences are unlikely to deter death by driving offences. University of Leicester professor Sally Kyd Cunningham suggests new laws from the UK Government could fail as a deterrent to crimes committed while driving. In the wake of the Government’s recent announcement of a comprehensive review of driving offences and penalties, an academic from the University of Leicester has argued that higher prison sentences could fail to act as a deterrent against de
    Read More
  • Record driving ban?
    February 23, 2012
    An Australian woman had her driving disqualification extended by one year after being convicted for crashing her Honda in a car park while driving without a licence. The pensioner has appeared in court more than 70 times on a variety of charges in recent years but claims that she is a good driver. The court heard that she continued to drive despite having her licence revoked until 2999 for medical reasons. The woman was convicted of negligent driving, driving without a licence and failing to give particular
    Read More
  • Mullum Mullum Valley untouched by progress
    July 20, 2012
    Preserving the unspoiled Mullum Mullum Valley was the major consideration when deciding to build a traffic tunnel The answer to one of the major issues facing construction of the A$2.5 billion EastLink route in Australia was simple: construct a tunnel. While it was expensive, those involved realised they had little option but to go underground to protect the environmentally sensitive Mullum Mullum Valley, an untouched area of wood and bushland in Melbourne. EastLink, the 39km toll road project on the easter
    Read More

Highlighted Content