Ravens QB McNair charged w drunk-driving though not drunk and notdriving

http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_130061156.html

May 10, 2007 3:16 pm US/Eastern
Although Not Driving, McNair Charged In DUI Case

(WJZ/AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair has
been arrested in Nashville, Tenn., and charged with
owning a vehicle being driven by a drunken driver.

Police say McNair was a passenger in the silver pickup truck when police
pulled the driver over for speeding early this morning.

The driver is reported to be McNair's brother-in-law.

Police say Jamie Cartwright, 31, was driving McNair’s 2003 Dodge pickup
truck, with McNair as a passenger, at 11:53 p.m. Wednesday when DUI
Squad Officer Harold Taylor saw that the truck was traveling 45 mph in a
35 mph zone. Police say the officer activated his siren and Cartwright
pulled into a strip mall.

According to police, when Taylor approached Cartwright, he detected an
obvious odor of alcohol and saw that Cartwright’s eyes were red and
glassy. Cartwright admitted to drinking at least two beers earlier in
the evening. Taylor administered the standard field sobriety tasks to
Cartwright, which indicated impairment. Cartwright was taken into
custody for DUI and was asked to submit to a breath alcohol test. He
refused.

Because McNair owns the truck and was a passenger with Cartwright, he
too was charged with DUI.

Reporter Robert Goulston from the CBS station in Nashville explains the law.

"In our state of Tennessee, we have a law called driving under the
influence of an intoxicant owner. So, if you own a truck that somebody
stopped and they're charged with drinking and driving, you too can be
charged with driving under the influence," said Goulston.

Metro police in Tennessee have charged 43 persons, including McNair, for
violating that statute since the first of this year.

McNair was charged with a misdemeanor and released.

"He paid $100 and he left with his entourage. We talked to one person in
that entourage and they said Steve didn't do anything wrong. He was in
the car, but he was not driving and he was not drunk," said Goulston.

(snip)

McNair was arrested in downtown Nashville in May 2003 and charged with
DUI and illegal gun possession. After a year of legal wrangling, a judge
dismissed those charges, ruling that police didn't have sufficient
reason to pull over McNair in the first place.

-----------------------

I'm all for this. If you own the car, you're responsible to make sure
the driver is sober. DUIs are killers and maimers. Let's stop coddling them.

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:

>
> I'm all for this. If you own the car, you're responsible to make sure
> the driver is sober. DUIs are killers and maimers. Let's stop coddling
> them.

But if you're too drunk to drive - and you know you are, how the ****
are you supposed to be able to judge the sobriety of another driver?

In fact, cops require lots of training in order to identify inebriated
drivers - even if sober, how is the average citizen supposed to identify
them as being too drunk to drive?

Fred G. Mackey wrote:
> Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>
>>
>> I'm all for this. If you own the car, you're responsible to make sure
>> the driver is sober. DUIs are killers and maimers. Let's stop coddling
>> them.
>
> But if you're too drunk to drive - and you know you are, how the ****
> are you supposed to be able to judge the sobriety of another driver?
>
> In fact, cops require lots of training in order to identify inebriated
> drivers - even if sober, how is the average citizen supposed to identify
> them as being too drunk to drive?

If in doubt, don't let them drive. Next question.

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>Fred G. Mackey wrote:
>> Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I'm all for this. If you own the car, you're responsible to make sure
>>> the driver is sober. DUIs are killers and maimers. Let's stop coddling
>>> them.
>>
>> But if you're too drunk to drive - and you know you are, how the ****
>> are you supposed to be able to judge the sobriety of another driver?
>>
>> In fact, cops require lots of training in order to identify inebriated
>> drivers - even if sober, how is the average citizen supposed to identify
>> them as being too drunk to drive?
>
>If in doubt, don't let them drive. Next question.

Oh, this is TOO easy...

I doubt you're ever sober, so it's time for you to surrender your
license. Next question.


--

We're all here
because we're not all there.

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>
> I'm all for this. If you own the car, you're responsible to make sure
> the driver is sober. DUIs are killers and maimers. Let's stop coddling
> them.

So let me see if I understand this. If a drunk steals your car and then
gets busted, then you (the owner of the car stolen by the drunk) should
get a ticket? Dumbest thing I ever hears. Where do our lawmaker come
up with stuff like this?

On May 14, 9:50 am, jcr > wrote:
> Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>
> > I'm all for this. If you own the car, you're responsible to make sure
> > the driver is sober. DUIs are killers and maimers. Let's stop coddling
> > them.
>
> So let me see if I understand this. If a drunk steals your car and then
> gets busted, then you (the owner of the car stolen by the drunk) should
> get a ticket? Dumbest thing I ever hears. Where do our lawmaker come
> up with stuff like this?

These kind of laws usually have exceptions that if you
can show the car was stolen you will escape the charge.