Texas arrests people for drinking in bars
Thursday, March 23rd, 2006 • Filed under Drunks
Fairfax Virginia tried this a few years ago. Basically the cops are saying that being drunk is still a crime and there’s no place better to catch a drunk than at a bar. Of course it’s all done in the name of safety.
Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, [Alcoholic Beverage Commission Carolyn] Beck said. The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.
Pre-emptive arrests; such a novel idea. I’m no legal scholar, but isn’t driving a fundamental component of DWI? As long as people have a sober ride home, and aren’t getting rowdy, what is the problem?