Champion of Dangers of Drunken Driving Arrested for Aggravated DUI
Oscar Gonzalez did not practice what he preached. The former police captain of New Mexico State Police Roswell District Office championed the cause of DWI awareness, and spread the message in many schools. However, the police arrested him after he hit a car and jumped a red light at the intersection of Mescalero and N. Main.
Hypocrisy
He was driving at 70 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone in an open container of Miller Lite, according to police. The charges against Gonzalez include aggravated DWI, reckless driving, speeding, and being in possession of an open container.
Gonzalez served as captain of Roswell District Office for 25 years and retired in 2010. Before his retirement, he also worked as the Chairman of the Chaves County DWI council.
He not only conducted many DWI checkpoints in the county, but had visited schools to make children aware of the dangers of drunken driving. Currently, he is employed as a security guard at Sierra Middle School in Roswell.
According to Las Cruces NM DUI attorneys, many people believe that he should be given the same penalties as other people and not let off because of his former role in the police department.
New bill seeks to increase jail term for multiple DWI offenders
A new bill, House Bill 359 has been introduced by State Representative, Sarah Maestas Barnes that seeks to add one more year of imprisonment for people convicted of multiple DWIs. This means that people convicted of eight or more DWIs can be jailed for 12 years. 8 DWIs
This increase in penalty would hopefully serve as a deterrent since the existing penalties do not seem effective, according to Barnes. She said if people who have had a prior DWI conviction are again willing to commit the same offense and put others lives in danger, there was obviously something wrong with the existing system of penalties.
Not everyone agrees with Barnes’ logic. Citing the example of a notably lesser number of interlock devices which were made mandatory for first time DWI offenders, Ben Lewinger of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said that more efforts should be made using existing technology and in the treatment for alcoholics so that they can be with their family instead of wasting tax payer’s money in jail. This is probably true but if someone manages 8 DWIs, they probably should be in jail for a while. In fact, it should be after 3 in a certain period of time.
The New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association would strongly oppose the bill, according to Barnes, who admitted that it would be difficult to get the bill passed. Las Cruces NM DUI attorneys say that 146 people died due to alcohol related accidents in 2014 alone.
Lawsuit filed against late officer for handcuff injuries
Deputy Tai Chan was arrested on charges of murdering fellow Deputy Jeremy Martin in Las Cruces after an argument in October of 2014. He is awaiting trial, and is on ankle monitor at his home in Santa Fe. Meanwhile the late Deputy Martin is the target of a lawsuit filed by Henry Milligan who said that he was handcuffed too tightly by the deputy after he was arrested for a DWI in May last year.
Both Martin and the county commission have been named in the lawsuit filed by Milligan, who said that he suffered from severe pain because of the handcuffs and despite requesting the deputy to adjust them, he did not. How tight were they really? That seems subjective.
If you have been accused or charged with multiple dui’s in the state of Florida, Kevin A. Raudt, Esq has years of experience in this area of law and can give you the legal representation needed for the best outcome.