New MADD Strategy: Shut Down the Lawyers
Posted by Lawrence Taylor on April 23rd, 2008The latest weapon in MADD’s “War on Drunk Driving”:
Senate Measure Would Ban Lawyers
from DUI Advertising
Nashville, TN. AP, April 22 – Defense attorneys would be banned from advertising their expertise with drunken driving cases under a bill advancing in the Senate.
Sen. Rosalind Kurita, a Clarksville Democrat, successfully added the provision to a bill that would create an online registry of repeat DUI offenders in Tennessee.
Kurita says officials have a hard enough time convicting drunken drivers without lawyers advertising their expertise in the field and offering discounts to DUI defendants…
In another article appearing hours later, Senator Kurita explained her reasoning: “Kurita said she pushed for the amendment because she was tired of suspected DUI offenders not being convicted.”
Imagine that: A citizen accused of a crime who is not convicted. Intolerable! There oughta be a law against that.
Another rational solution to the drunk driving problem…
(Thanks to David O’Shea.)
Banning lawyers from advertising their services is unconstitutional. But I guess being unconstitutional never really stopped a DUI law before, right? I don’t know why they don’t just get it over with and pass a law that says “if a citizen is ever suspected of or arrested for DUI, he/she is automatically guilty of DUI”. Because we all know that’s pretty much how it works in the real world anyway.
Comment by screwed by the system — April 23, 2008 @ 1:08 pm
Looks like the zealots are working on a first amendment “DUI exception to the Constitution” that Mr. Taylor always speaks of. Hopefully, they are unsuccessful.
Comment by voiceofreason1776 — April 23, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
Unbelievable! I guess this applies to divorce lawyers too, and might as well add tax lawyers! Thank you Mr. Taylor for your great website, although they may shut you down soon………
Comment by koivisto — April 23, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
Amazing… Interesting to think what the motive was.. in the article you point out, it says that her move “brought criticism from her opponent who practices in DUI law”..
Hmm…
http://www.friscodwilawyer.com/2008/04/articles/dwi-legislation/dwi-laws/to-ensure-dwi-convictions-dont-let-accused-get-good-lawyers/
Comment by friscolaw — April 24, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
Speaking of lawyers. What a fun day. I went to my “formal arraignment” today for a DUI arrest that occurred in December 2007. But the state didn’t have the paperwork ready. I was ready; in fact I was taking time off work to be there. My lawyer was ready; or at least as ready as he ever is. But the state wasn’t ready. The necessary paperwork hadn’t been filed. I was not notified of this development in advance mind you. I was notified after I got to the courthouse. And you know what? My lawyer couldn’t have given two $h!t$ and a damn. “This stuff happens all the time” he said. “If they don’t file in a year the charges get dropped, but if I were you I wouldn’t get my hopes up” he said. No motion to dismiss. No protestations from him; only from me. Unbelievable. I think we all know what would have happened if I hadn’t been able to get my $hit together and get to my non-arraignment. I would have been arrested and thrown in jail. This was confirmed by my lawyer and courthouse staff. And it wouldn’t have mattered that the state wasn’t ready anyway. They still would have issued a warrant for my arrest and thrown me in jail. So much for a speedy trial.
Comment by screwed by the system — April 24, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
I feel out of the 100% of the poeple that get picked up are most likely no danger to anyone. The other 5% of the poeple ruin it for all of us. I don’t think drinking and driving should be done but at the same time we shouldn’t be getting our lives ruined either. In most states its about business of making money. We have organizations like MADD wanting proabition reinstated. Which is another problem I see alot of us including myself will sit and bitch about our situations. MADD is oraganized ……that’s what we need to be. I need to find a group that can support my rights as well. If anyone knows of one let me know please. If there’s not one we need to start one. I will be grateful if anyone wants to come on board my email is nitro196673@yahoo.com
Comment by nitro196673 — April 24, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
was this in the us senate or the tennessee state senate?
i am really at a loss for words about this one.
the next step after banning dui attorneys from stating what they do, would be to ban a dui defendant from having an attorney in court.
right?
Comment by jim — April 25, 2008 @ 5:53 am
one way around itr wqould be to have a third party advertise the dui attorneys, not the attorneys themselves. but this could lead to some real political issues.
Comment by jim — April 25, 2008 @ 5:55 am
Citizens need legal help when they’ve violated or have been accused of violating a law. There are attorneys who take advantage of the rules, but there are hundreds more attorneys willing to help people who may have been taken advantage of by the police.
Comment by joe — April 28, 2008 @ 12:17 pm
joe- i doubt that, the system is way too corrupted for defense attorneys to help anyone getting screwed
Comment by jim — May 1, 2008 @ 10:43 am