Assemblyman Jerry Hill has decided to push a bill allegedly aimed at reining in drunken drivers, though critics questioned giving California judges the power to permanently revoke the licenses of DUI offenders after three convictions.
Third time offenders are already facing significant punishment and the additional punishment proposed by this bill is unlikely to deter drinking and driving by 3rd time offenders.
A third offense in CA usually carries with it a 3 year license revocation, a minimum of 120 day jail sentence, 3-5 years of probation which include that the driver cannot drive with any measurable amount of alcohol in their system, participation in a 18 month dui program (about $1000) increased insurance, and a fine of around $2,000.
Suspending an individuals license may not be an effective way to keep multiple offenders off the road. Many multiple offenders are also arrested for driving without a license or driving on a license suspended due to a previous DUI conviction.
Meanwhile, we know that many politicians have used the emotional pain of DUI victims to gather political support for another meaningless law which just so happens to provide them publicity and further their personal political goals.
Not every law aimed at punishing offenders is good for the population. A proper cost benefit analysis should be performed before we blindly pass another needless law.
