So the local media has been flapping their traps about how incredible it is that the legislature is changing the ingestion laws making the ‘supposed’ crime a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Shouldn’t we celebrate?! Ah, NO. Ingestion laws should be taken off the books entirely. They are just a way for prosecutors to ‘pile on’ charges which only costs taxpayers in further proceedings that are of no consequence.
Why should ingestion NOT be a crime? Because if you are charged with it, you likely committed some other crime, like DUI (most likely). Once you are arrested after a field test and breathalyzer you are hauled back to the station for a blood test which will tell law enforcement every substance you are on. If they find Alcohol and let’s say Meth in your system they could charge you with DUI and INGESTION but the ingestion charge would likely be dropped for the more serious charge of DUI. In other words, ingestion doesn’t matter. It is obvious you took too much of some kind of drug and were driving, so you will be charged with felony DUI, why charge you with something else?
This would have been a great victory if they just erased the law from the books all together, but that would have been to easy.
I suggested once the legislature needs to drug test every member the first day of session and those who fail would not be allowed to vote on legislation. I told someone once that I can guarantee almost 30% of the legislature would fail the test, and I can almost guarantee over 60% would have a trace or more of alcohol in their system.
Kettle meet black.
“Sometimes Pierre gives me congestion”