They better not pull this crap in Austin!!!

[jimmysidecarr]

They better not pull this crap in Austin!!!

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/8034788/detail.html

Officials Make Public Intoxication Arrests Inside Bars

POSTED: 4:04 pm CST March 15, 2006
UPDATED: 9:44 am CST March 17, 2006

Email This Story | Print This Story

IRVING, Texas -- The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has taken its fight against drunken driving to a new level. TABC agents, along with Irving police, targeted 36 bars and clubs Friday, arresting some allegedly intoxicated patrons before they departed the businesses.

The officers and agents also kept watch on bartenders who might have over-served patrons.

Agents arrested 30 people Friday night. Most of the suspects now face charges of public intoxication.

The agents and Irving police officers traveled from bar to bar and worked undercover, according to an NBC 5 report.


The report also said that some agents shared tables with suspected drunken patrons. Some patrons were subjected to field sobriety tests inside bars.

Agents and officers said the operation represented an effort to reduce drunken driving.

Sgt. Chris Hamilton, of the TABC, said some inebriated bar patrons "end up killing themselves or someone else" after departing the businesses.

Copyright 2006 by nbc5i.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SAN ANTONIO TOO??? WTF??

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11965237/from/RS.1/

Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk
Undercover agents pursue inebriates in a pre-emptive strategy

Updated: 7:12 p.m. ET March 22, 2006
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday.

The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission’s Carolyn Beck.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said.
The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.

“We feel that the only way we’re going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this,” she said.


“There are a lot of dangerous and stupid things people do when they’re intoxicated, other than get behind the wheel of a car,” Beck said. “People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss.”

She said the sting operations would continue throughout the state.

[Jesse99]

Yea I've been reading about that.. Seems it's a state wide effort, but the problem is - I'm now confused.. I thought a bar or resturant was private property..
The artical says Irving which isn't far from me, but they also hit Arlington and all the midcities.. Seems to be a hit and miss on different locations.. The word over here is they are saying if your going to drink do it at home and if you go out, drink only 1 beer.. Most places over here already have a smoking ban seems beer is next

[jimmysidecarr]

I don't condone getting totally stewed in public... but I see a whole lot of potential for abuse here!!!

HOUSTON TOO!!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...e/3742462.html

March 23, 2006, 6:18PM



Public intoxication stings catch 2,200 in Texas bars
TABC officials say drive is aimed at reducing DWIs
By ANNE MARIE KILDAY
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

More than 2,200 people have been arrested in Texas bars in the six months since the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced a crackdown on public intoxication, primarily targeting bar.

The arrests included people who were drunk in bars, who sold alcohol to a drunk person, or a drunk employee on the premises of a bar or restaurant with a license to sell alcohol, said Carolyn Beck, a spokeswoman for the TABC.

The commission has been responsible for enforcing the state's alcoholic beverage code for the past 70 years. In August, 2005, the agency announced it was beginning a crackdown on public intoxication, using both undercover and open operations.

The agency has used undercover agents before, Beck said. In a recent operation, agents infiltrated 36 bars in a Dallas suburb and arrested 30 people for public intoxication.

"The laws in Texas against public intoxication also apply to bars," Beck said. "Texas has the highest DWI rate in the nation, and we are trying to reduce those rates."

The TABC also is trying to "encourage licensees" to serve patrons responsibly, Beck said.

Part of the problem with enforcing the state's code regulating alcohol sales is "people still think that a bar is place to go get drunk," Beck said. "People can go into bars and have fun with their friends and not become intoxicated to the point whether they may become a danger to themselves or others."

People arrested for public intoxication "are not people who had a couple of beers with dinner. They are people who are so drunk that they caught the attention of a TABC agent," Beck said.

TABC agents have the discretion to cite the person for public intoxication and release them to "a responsible party." Or, a person who is so drunk "that they may be a danger to themselves or others" can be arrested and taken to jail, Beck said.

While customers are being questioned, another TABC agent is taking steps to arrest and take to jail the employees responsible for selling alcohol to an intoxicated person, Beck said.

In the Houston area, the TABC is conducting an enforcement program called Operation "Last Call," said Sgt. Mike Barnett, that is "designed to reduce the number of DWIs."

"The program, in a nutshell, is designed to keep the streets safer by reducing the numbers of DWI offenders," he said.

anne.kilday@chron.com

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DALLAS!!!
http://www.news-journal.com/news/con...xsvc=7&cxcat=7

Bar owners criticize TABCBy JIM HARDIN

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Criticism of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission flowed freely Wednesday during a public forum held to receive comments about the agency's programs, services and activities.

Members of the public, government agencies and civic organizations were invited to the forum, which is part of the agency's biannual strategic planning effort. Most of the 35 people who participated in the forum at the Longview Public Library were bar owners and others in the alcoholic beverage industry who have frequent contact with TABC officers.

Capt. David Alexander of Dallas, regional enforcement supervisor for the TABC, asked the questions and the bar owners provided frank — and sometimes lighthearted — responses.

The session was informal. Speakers weren't required to provide their names, and afterward only one of four speakers approached by the Longview News-Journal provided his name.

Alexander's first question didn't generate much response.

"What are we doing well?" he asked.

"I haven't figured that out," responded one audience member.

Later, a woman in the audience commended the TABC for its AVERT program. Alcohol Violation Enforcement Response Teams join forces on a regular basis to plan and execute areawide alcohol enforcement activities.

Responses to Alexander's questions came faster when he asked, "In what areas can we improve?"

A man who identified himself as a small bar owner asked TABC officers to exercise a "little bit of tolerance" in dealing with men who are burdened by high taxes and high gas prices, then come into a bar for a few beers, to shoot pool and visit with their friends.

Alexander said TABC officers enforce the law — minors in possession, public intoxication and those who sell alcoholic beverages to minors and bar patrons who already are drunk. Those who don't agree with a law, he said should contact their legislator.

He said a motorist is legally intoxicated if his blood alcohol content is at least .08 percent. Blood alcohol content isn't considered for a public intoxication arrest. A charge of public intoxication requires that a person be in a public place and be intoxicated to the point that he is a danger to himself or others.

Gary Fant, landlord of Auntie Skinner's Riverboat Club, a private club in Jefferson, questioned TABC's zero tolerance policy.

"There's zero tolerance for some, but zero enforcement for others," Fant said.

He questioned what appears to be zero enforcement at Texas Stadium, for example, where he said hundreds and possibly thousands of fans leave games intoxicated.

Alexander told the audience that zero tolerance also applies to Texas Stadium. He said audience members can check for themselves to see the number of violations and administrative actions connected to the stadium.

Fant said TABC's enforcement efforts appear to be unfair.

"Some are shut down and some haven't seen an agent in years," he said.

Alexander responded, saying each establishment must be inspected every two years.

Later, Fant referred to how the enforcement of alcoholic beverage laws affects people in different ways.

"Some face ruination and bankruptcy," Fant said of owners who are cited.

He then made another reference to Texas Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys' owner.

"Others are getting richer — Jerry Jones," he said.

Alexander stressed the importance of the designated driver — a sober person who drives intoxicated friends home from bars or parties.

"If anybody has been drinking to any extent, there will be some impairment of his driving," Alexander said. "Don't drink and drive. Be safe."

A drinking patron is not protected from a public intoxication arrest in a club if he has a designated driver present, Alexander said.

Alexander asked the bar owners what they would change about TABC if they had a magic wand.

Fant asked for an enforcement distinction between clubs that are trying their best to be law-abiding businesses and those that are not.

Alexander told Fant he could report to TABC businesses that are not obeying alcoholic beverage laws.

"The first one on my list," Fant said, "is Texas Stadium."

Officers in the TABC's Longview district serve a 23-county area.

[jimmysidecarr]

THE LAW!!!

Public Intoxication Statute of Texas

49.02 Public Intoxication

"Public Intoxication" means:

A person commits an offense if the person appears in a public place while intoxicated to the degree that the person may endanger the person or another.

"Intoxicated" is defined as:

not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, a combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into the body; or

having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.

An offence under this section is a Class C Misdemeanor. An individual adjudged guilty of a Class C misdemeanor shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00. However, for a minor, the punishment terms are in the same manner as if he committed the offense of Possession of Alcohol by a Minor.

Top


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Burden of Proof
All persons are presumed innocent and no person may be convicted of an offense unless each element of the offense is proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The fact that a person has been arrested, confined, or indicted for, or otherwise charged with the offense gives rise to no inference of guilt at that person's trial.


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Plea Options
Not Guilty Pleas

If you feel you are not guilty of P.I., enter a plea of not guilty. You must prepare for your defense at a bench or jury trial. You should have the court clerk issue subpoenas for those witnesses necessary for your defense. It is recommended that you seek the advice of an attorney prior to the trial. Please contact Student Conflict Resolution Services, 847-7272, at your earliest convenience to schedule an appointment.

Guilty Pleas

If you are guilty of P.I. enter a plea of no contest or guilty and ask the court clerk for an uncontested hearing with the judge on the issue of punishment. At the hearing, introduce yourself to the judge and explain that you desire to avoid a P.I. conviction on your record. Therefore, you request that the court grant you Deferred Adjudication.
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Deferred Adjudication
The judge may defer further proceedings without entering an adjudication of guilt and place you on probation for a period not to exceed 180 days. At the conclusion of the deferral period, if you present evidence that you complied with the requirements imposed by the Court, the judge shall dismiss the P.I. complaint and note in the docket that there is not a final conviction. However, the arrest will still appear on your record.

In most cases, the judge will grant Deferred Adjudication and order six months probation, 25 hours community service, attendance at an alcohol education workshop and court costs.

[Firme]

Well, I guess if they did this on 6th street, it would totally kill their "tourist" appeal of 6th street.

I guess this would be a good time to re-itirate that the 6th street portion of the Austin cruise is not a SCMC sponsored, run, or endorsed portion of the cruise. Everyone should use their best judgment and stay safe.

[jimmysidecarr]

Originally Posted by Firme

Well, I guess if they did this on 6th street, it would totally kill their "tourist" appeal of 6th street.

I guess this would be a good time to re-itirate that the 6th street portion of the Austin cruise is not a SCMC sponsored, run, or endorsed portion of the cruise. Everyone should use their best judgment and stay safe.

"Legal disclaimer"...

Who wants to be on the national news with me if some undercover ****stick decides to bust me for having two beers in public???

I may have to go Jack Bauer on them!!!

[jimmysidecarr]

[97CasperCobra]

Bad news for Aaron.....

sorry...I just had to.

[Levi]

Jimmy, that pic is hilarious.

Do Track, It's Legal.




Policeman pulls me over and informs me I am publicly OPEN TRACK intoxicated.

Officer, How would you know that?

Because of the magnetic number attached to the doors of your car.

[bluethunder]

I don't see this going on too Long. They are forgetting about the right to call a cab and be driven home. It is also theBars duty to call a cab for a parton that has had too much to drink.



I see a Big Law suit coming from someone over one of these arrest!

[AirForce1]

Originally Posted by jimmysidecarr

that is some funny sh*t.....

[93KingCobra]

Listining to the radio this morning and they said that when you sign up for your liquor licence that makes your place of bussines no longer private property or something like that...

[Jesse99]

I saw on the news yesterday that TABC is investigating what happend.. Seems they got lots of complaints and a few lawsuits since they arrested a few people in the Hotel bar here in my area.. The city here is thinking of filing charges on the officers involved if they find that the officer violated any rights..
-
I heard today on the news that the crackdown is now suspended until further investigation.. Seems this was a bad idea on there part

[jimmysidecarr]

Originally Posted by Jesse99

I saw on the news yesterday that TABC is investigating what happend.. Seems they got lots of complaints and a few lawsuits since they arrested a few people in the Hotel bar here in my area.. The city here is thinking of filing charges on the officers involved if they find that the officer violated any rights..
-
I heard today on the news that the crackdown is now suspended until further investigation.. Seems this was a bad idea on there part

OH HELL YEA IT'S a BAD IDEA!!!

They need to repeal what ever law is preventing them from doing road block sobriety check points(many states use this and it is VERY effective!!!)...

And just forget all about this in the bar/club crap!!!

It is retarded beyond belief also........ that you can gas your car........... walk into any gas station..... and there is a freaking HUGE A$$ TUB OF FREAKING SINGLES ON ICE READY TO GO!!!! WTF is that???
Of course it's so you have a nice cold one for the drive to where ever!!!
That is all it could be!!!

What???

You are going to buy one cold beer to take home and drink???

Yea RIGHT!!!

No they didn't do that in NY!!!
You bought a six pack or larger or a quart and that was it!!! No singles!!!

If you were then stupid enough to drive around drinking that now opened six pack.... you were going to get popped with a DWI for just having an open beer in the car!!!!

Even empties in the car = DWI!!!




And don't even get me going on the ridiculously lax insurance enforcement...

"Oh sure here is your 30 day policy" ... "Oh and when you let it expire... we are not required to notify DPS!!!"


If you let your insurance expire/lapse in NY.... You have x number of days to turn in your plates or they issue an automatic warrant for your arrest!!!

Can't afford insurance??? Better pull the plates and park the BIOTCH!!!! Cause your going to jail if you don't!!!

I love this state... and I really don't want to go elsewhere....

But Holy Crap!!! We got some serious $#!T!! that needs fixing down here!!!

Ok I'm done...

I'm going to have another...


DID I MENTION I LOVE TEXAS????!!!!!

[bluethunder]

Originally Posted by Jesse99

I saw on the news yesterday that TABC is investigating what happend.. Seems they got lots of complaints and a few lawsuits since they arrested a few people in the Hotel bar here in my area.. The city here is thinking of filing charges on the officers involved if they find that the officer violated any rights..
-
I heard today on the news that the crackdown is now suspended until further investigation.. Seems this was a bad idea on there part

Originally Posted by bluethunder

I don't see this going on too Long. They are forgetting about the right to call a cab and be driven home. It is also theBars duty to call a cab for a parton that has had too much to drink.



I see a Big Law suit coming from someone over one of these arrest!

Should I say I told ya so?