Several readers expressed outrage today at the sentence imposed on Maryland lobbyist David A. Jacobs for his seventh drunk driving conviction. After 36 days in jail, Jacobs--who has represented the Prince George's County Council and sheriff in Annapolis--was sent to an in-patient alcohol treatment program for 28 days. A prosecutor had asked the court to sentence Jacobs to 10 months in jail.
Caroline Cash, executive director of MADD Maryland, put it this way: "How is it that there's any such thing as seven offenses? How are we allowing that?"
A nationwide report by MADD, however, shows that Jacobs is hardly the only repeat offender.
According to the group's State Progress Report released last year, Maryland had 25,120 people with three or more drunk driving convictions. 3,980 people had five or more convictions, and one person had 21.
If you think 21 is bad, Marylanders, be thankful you don't live in Arkansas, where one person has had 40 convictions.
Check out the full report below to see how all the states stack up. Unfortunately, Virginia and the District didn't report data on repeat offenders.
Jacobs was drunk by more than twice the legal limit April 29 when he lost control of his Honda Pilot and struck another car and a guardrail. The County Council has not ruled out retaining his services once more in Annapolis next year.
4 comments:
If they pay the fines and do the time, and it's not in law somewhere to deny them a license then what else do you expect? They are allowed back on the streets just like older people who are a danger on the road because they can still pass the tests.
It doesnt matter how many times they are fined, they go somewhere else and get a license and bang, there driving with a legal license yet again. What do you think all the deadbeat dads are doing? Just go to another state where they havent caught up to you and within minutes you have a legal license....
Get RID of him!
After I rolled my pickup truck upside down off the side of the road, I quit drunk driving.
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