Lynnwood, Snohomish County DUI Attorney: Lawmaker who doesn't understand DUIs wants to redefine DUIs
Lynnwood, Snohomish County DUI Attorney: Lawmaker who doesn't understand DUIs wants to redefine DUIs – please!!
In Washington state there are 40,000 DUI arrests every year, according to State Representative Roger Goodman.
Goodman is working on a new bill that would not only make the laws more clear on how to handle DUI arrests and court processes, but how to determine if marijuana is a contributing factor in a crime.
A recent Washington State Supreme Court case ruled that it was okay to draw a suspect's blood even if they don't consent, to determine if that person is under the influence of an illegal or controlled substance, as long as there is a warrant for it.
Goodman told KIRO Radio's Northwest Nights that he's concerned that a blood test might not be appropriate in every case. "People are having their blood drawn and they're finding THC, the active ingredient in marijuana in the blood [...] As many people know, [THC] sort of lingers for quite a while and so, it's not very fair. You don't have a measurement of impairment. You have a measurement of something that's in your blood."
Goodman is looking for a better way to measure THC and drugs like it, to determine if someone is under the influence, and whether they should be charged with a DUI or "negligent driving."
Because marijuana is measured different than alcohol, Goodman wants to scientifically define the restrictions of driving under the influence and make the law more specific.
"If it were, say, eight nanograms [of THC in someone's blood] then that would be impaired," he said.
In the bill, Goodman is also aiming to make penalties stricter and prevent more accidents caused from people driving under the influence. He explained that some people who could have been charged with DUI often plea to negligent driving. He said that for those people, there is not a lot of accountability and that a surprising number of people convicted of negligent driving sometimes go on to kill someone while drunk driving.
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