This letter is about the injustice that occurred to myself and a few of my friends on the night of Dec.11 at approximately midnight.
We were on our way home from a night of bowling when a Fort Smith police officer pulled us over for improper display of tags. The recent renewal sticker wasn't in place. He checked driver's license and insurance. I had informed him that I was driving because I had not been drinking for hours, and felt I was the safest. I gauge my drinking in order not to come close to the legal B.A.C. limit.
I was without doubt sober, (eight beers over six hours at 195 pounds). He allowed us to proceed. I live in Roland and as I was driving down Highway 64 I noticed a police car blocking the entrance to the road I was going to take. I momentarily changed into the left lane to give the officer room on the road and then merged back into my lane. I proceeded to the next road I could take to go home, and the same Moffett Police car that was blocking my turn was behind me, pulling me over.
She asked for the same information that was asked for in Fort Smith and then informed me that Insurance wasn't valid. I handed her the same info that I gave Fort Smith, but when she handed it back, the current insurance card was not there.
The officer asked me if I had been drinking. I told her that I hadn't been drinking for a more than two hours. I told the police officer that I would summit to a field sobriety test and Breathalyzer to prove I wasn't drunk.
She ordered every one out of the vehicle; everyone had been drinking beer that evening. The truck was impounded and all six of us were off to Moffett Police Department to be charge with Public Intoxication.
Breathalyzer revealed that I was not close to the legal limit, and one other male was given the test and was found to be over 0.08 B.A.C. No one else was tested. We are informed that it will take each of us $387 to leave the jail or we would have to stay in jail until our court date Jan. 26,2005.
Where do we draw the line? An unintoxicated person is operating a motor vehicle and is told that one drink of a beer constitutes Public Intoxication, you can't drink one drop of alcohol and come close to Moffett without paying $387.
I will not lay by and let a town whose main revenue is from cops who do not follow the law and make threats of great penalties for being within state law. It's Christmas and now my household is nearly $800 poorer, just to feed the pockets of Moffett
The officers who read this know who I am, and I will see you Jan. 26, 2005, at 5:30pm to challenge this injustice. If any of your readers would like to appear for support, please feel free to be there.
Kevin W. Hunter
Roland
