Link: 6th DWI = Life in Prison
Category: Law
Level: Local
Concerning: A
problem/issue that individuals/families face
Why is this
important/how does this affect families/individuals? Not only does this
affect the family of the woman sentenced to life in prison, this incident is
important in that it sets a precedent for individuals living in the San
Marcos/Kyle area. After seeing how serious the Hays County police department
and jury can be regarding drunk driving, other individuals will think twice
about getting behind the wheel after drinking.
My Views:
Although this punishment is severe, I agree with the Hays County jury’s
decision to sentence Rose Ann Davidson to life in prison. The fact that this
woman has been charged with not one, not two, but SIX DWIs is completely ridiculous. The article states that Davison
had “only recently been released from prison” when she was arrested for her
sixth DWI. That fact alone makes it very obvious that she had a complete
disregard for the law, as well as a disregard for the safety of those around
her. Maybe if this woman had made some kind of effort to turn her life around
and better herself, the punishment would have been less stern. I’m sure some
people will see this sentence has too harsh, and that she should be given less
time in jail followed by probation. However, Davidson has already served time
in prison and has faced other consequences. Clearly, those punishments had no
impact or influence on her. A more drastic approach was necessary. In addition
to being a danger to herself, this woman is clearly an extreme danger to
innocent individuals on the road. It was only a matter of time before she
injured or killed someone while intoxicated. The numbers of fatalities stemming
from drunk driving are daunting. I would hope that this extreme sentencing
would be a wakeup call for the countless individuals living in the San Marcos,
Kyle, and surrounding areas who engage in drunk driving. I know an individual
living in Houston, TX who has received 5 DWIs. Aside from the vast lawyer,
court, and probation fees, these convictions have had no affect on his life. He
has faced no serious consequences for his actions. Although I do not speak to
this individual any longer, I would not be surprised to know that he continues
to drive drunk, considering the lack of consequences he has faced. However, if he knew that a possible consequence could be life
in prison, he would probably reevaluate his decisions. While I highly doubt that
Ms. Davidson will actually spend the rest of her life in prison (parole is more
than likely), the severity of this sentencing is enough to shock people into
thinking twice before getting behind the wheel.
I agree with this completely. I somewhat recently had a conversation with someone about a man that was sentenced to 25 years in prison after his fifth DWI. This particular person believed that the punishment was too harsh due to the fact that he was already in his 50's and wouldn't be getting out of prison until he was almost 80, which at that age might as well be a life sentence. None of his previous DWI's were tied to any accidents where someone got hurt, and according to the person I spoke to, his multiple DWI's were indicative of a failure in our current rehabilitation system. Personally, I view it as a case where not everyone can be 'fixed.' In order to receive 4,5, or 6 DWIs, the person will have had multiple trips to jail, AA classes, breathalyzers installed in his/her car, license taken away, and a huge amount of fines. I see these cases of "extreme" punishments as a form of preventative measures. Sure, neither one of these people killed or hurt anyone in an accident, but given their state and obvious disregard for anyone's safety, it seems to me that it was only a matter of time. If Ms. Davidson would have hit a car and killed a whole family, people would have been outraged by the fact that the police didn't do more to prevent this sort of accident from happening. I personally applaud the police and the judge for their work in protecting the public and saving lives. How many chances does someone deserve when their actions risk the lives of innocent people. It could be any one of use driving down the road and getting killed by people like this. Just a thought to keep in mind when you're driving to and from the square this weekend.
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