Is the law an ass?

[lonedad]

Ok, so i ask this because ive read through many peoples questions, many peoples answers and also things ive read about or seen on TV. Even my own experience with the law.
I look at offences and the punishment of offences and think its so ridicolous. I mean, a person lies on his CV, forgets to put insurance on his car, drives when over the limit, speeds etc etc can get their liberty taken from them but a person can go out and assault, burgal, cause arson, can get away with a suspended sentance or just a fine. There seems no justice at all. I remember going to court a few years back with a mate who was about to be convicted of drink driving. He got in his car the afternoon after a night out. He was pulled over because he had no seat belt on. He was breath tested and was arrested. This lad was in the Armed Forces and was having a great career. Before he went into court we sat and watched another case where the accused was being tried for a mugging which left an old lady badly hurt. This lad, who pleaded not guilty was about 22 wearing a tracksuit and having a massive attitude problem, got off with an asbo and community service. He even laughed when he was given the sentance. My mate then went up, got banned from driving for 1 year and got a �300 fine. He was then negativley discharged from the armed forces and could not find work. He went from having a promising shining career serving this country to a bloke just scraping through in life. My mate still finds life hard. Although this was a few years back, he has a criminal record and the endoresment on his licence. The licence will remain marked for 10 or 11 years after the offence. Do the courts not think of this when sentancing? Do the people who come up with sentancing not think of this? Theres other people who get marked for life because of sentancing who made unimformed decisions or just bad decisions who are now and most likely always will be affected by it.

[lonedad]

Eve - Its a fact that, depending what kind of weekend youve had, you could still be over the limit on the Tuesday or even Wednesday after the weekend!!

Bednobs - My friends situation was an example. I am not condoning drink driver whatsoever. My friend has had many jobs since the ban, he just cant seem to hold them down long enough. And you are right, you dont know my friend and you have not had to watch this happen to who is a very nice and loving person, not a scumbag that the narrow minded public like to view people like this.

You havent told me your thoughts on the other points I raised about lesser crimes.

[law advice]

The law is an ass but more than that it is really just a bully, it picks on the people that it can. The middle income earners the people that have something to lose, it dosen't pick on the extremely wealthy and it dosen't have the power to affect people who are young or old who don't care and to a certain extent it dosen't try because the legal result just becomes a financial burden to the state, however your mate was drunk, so easy to defend because he lost a license not so easy if he killed a 5 year old child.

[lonedad]

Law, I do agree that drink driving is a punishable offence and rightly so. I just dont understand, and Ive really tried hard to, why this offence stays on a licence a decade after the ban? I dont think it allows the person in question a chance to put wrongs right.

[jedimistress]

Well I think the law is an ass. I am being prosecuted for having my dog off a lead on a footpath which is now a crime in the place where I work.....but not where I live.

I will probably receive a �1000 fine plus court and prosecution costs, and a girl who kicked a kitten like a rugby ball, and the people who assaulted and hospitalized my neighbours get away with suspended sentences, ie scot free if they are good for 3 months. And often because they only began drinking and drugging as their uncle had died and all the other excuses they come out with. It makes me pretty mad.

[mariner2]

You've come away from the point that Lonedad was trying to make - the career scumbag with 100 offences that laughs at his ASBO is effectively not punished at all while a near accidental first time offence gets a ton of bricks on it.

[bednobs]

grrrrrrrr how is a 300 quid fine and a one year ban "a ton of bricks" for drink driving??????????

[lonedad]

The 11 years of punishment after is the tonne of bricks!!

[floppy]

My 18year old niece was killed by a drink-driver. It wasn't his first offence. If only he'd been sent to prison in the first place maybe she'd still be alive today. Perhaps we should just build more prisons and keep the scum away from society

[bednobs]

you keep saying ti about the 11 years of "punishment" but really what punishment is it to have an offence stay on your driving liscence - words written on a peice of paper

[lonedad]

The stigma, the fact that barely anyone will employ if driving is involved, the cost of insurance because they think you'll do it again.