Wish I deserved this.

[Mike33]

I heard an interesting quote last night and it kida fits this situation," Its better to be judged by 12 then be carried by 6".

(I've been wanting to use that one all day!!)

George

Yeah, we blue bellies use that all the time. It is better to shoot and stay alive, and be judged later while you're with your family, than be killed because of hesitation on being politically correct and be carried by six of your fellow officers.

Just my .02 cents.

I get the quote and the moral behind it, but damn, I wouldn't want to be the guy who gets shot b/c the officer didn't hesitate :laugh:

 

[H311oLHD]

Hey bro,

I'm so sorry that this happend to you bro. I'm not really sure why the hell this officer stopped you...Does anyone know if he had to blow? I dont think you did...but what an asshole officer man. I'm so sorry that you got hit for doing the right thing. Don't ever change your actions bro. Karma works in both ways. you've got some good karma coming man...just focus on that now. I'm so sorry bro, but at least nothing happend to your friends. .

Cheer up bro..and go drink some beer *(AT HOME)*!

-Aaron

 

[jgohlke]

Badge of Honor.

 

[Saxjazzman]

Bottom line, you did the right thing. Many of us here have bent the law and have both gotten caught and not gotten caughte. It sucks when you get caught. Sure you should not have been drinking and sure you should study and get only As and sure we all should stop smoking cigars (according to some) but we are all only human and we can do only what we can do. This is a confusing world. Sometimes being right is not being legal and sometimes being legal is not being right. The best we can do is navigate the waters with the best ship we have. Screw the money. You did not have to go down to the morgue and identify a body. That is worth $375!! Hang in there and good luck in your studies!!

 

[badhangover]

...but what an asshole officer man.

Why do you judge the officer as such? If I read the posts in this thread correctly, the original poster said the officer was friendly and joked with him a bit while they conversed. So the copper is a bad guy for enforcing the law that people and their legislators have enacted? I know, it would have been nice for the officer to exercise discretion here and let him go, but for some reason he did not. But that doesn't make him bad.

Here's the thing: Most onerous laws, and their enforcement, can be directly attributed to someone screwing up and ruining it for others. It's quite likely the original poster's college or his college town is currently experiencing a rash of trouble with intoxicated college kids and the coppers have received recent directives to take action to curb underage drinking and extreme public intoxication by those of legal age. Their department likely wants to see a pile of tickets so they can take them (just the statistics, actually) to the city leaders and show them as proof that they are taking measures to curb problems associated with intoxication. Or maybe a college kid or two died as a result of some drunken binge activity and their parents are suing the college and its town for tacitly allowing underage and binge drinking by their kids who are away from home. Who knows.

I do think you judged the officer a bit harsh.

 

[souldog]

...but what an asshole officer man.

Why do you judge the officer as such? If I read the posts in this thread correctly, the original poster said the officer was friendly and joked with him a bit while they conversed. So the copper is a bad guy for enforcing the law that people and their legislators have enacted? I know, it would have been nice for the officer to exercise discretion here and let him go, but for some reason he did not. But that doesn't make him bad.

Here's the thing: Most onerous laws, and their enforcement, can be directly attributed to someone screwing up and ruining it for others. It's quite likely the original poster's college or his college town is currently experiencing a rash of trouble with intoxicated college kids and the coppers have received recent directives to take action to curb underage drinking and extreme public intoxication by those of legal age. Their department likely wants to see a pile of tickets so they can take them (just the statistics, actually) to the city leaders and show them as proof that they are taking measures to curb problems associated with intoxication. Or maybe a college kid or two died as a result of some drunken binge activity and their parents are suing the college and its town for tacitly allowing underage and binge drinking by their kids who are away from home. Who knows.

I do think you judged the officer a bit harsh.

As an officer, it's nice to read that. Thanks brother... :thumbs:

 

[Rebel Herfer]

Derek, yes it is part of growing up and the advice already offered is great, so I won't rehash. My campus had an officer escort service available, so maybe check into that. Good Karma move ensuring the young ladies safety. I can tell you, because I've made that 3am call home at your age, that your parents were glad it was you calling them and not the coroner asking them to come down to identify your body. Yeah they may be a bit pis*ed now but they too will realize this if they already havn't. (Don't you enlighten them on this, they'll figure it out, they're older).

**PARTIAL THREAD JACK**

I heard an interesting quote last night and it kida fits this situation," Its better to be judged by 12 then be carried by 6".
(I've been wanting to use that one all day!!)
George

GEORGE -
I see you watched "We Own the Night" - great line, so what did you think?

**OK back to the issue at hand**

 

[TMarquis]

I agree that sucked, man, but you were breaking the law. I've gotten my fair share of tickets when I was younger, I didn't drink though, so mine were for speeding. While I was pissed that I was given them, I knew for a fact I deserved them. You did the right thing though, you got your ticket for helping some girls arrive safe at home, I got mine for speeding, we both broke the law, and we both got what we deserve.

As was said before though, it's much better to get this ticket, than to hear your friends were either murdered or raped that night, either ending their lives or ruining it. I've seen some horrific things happen to women when I was working high risk security, and I would've paid 10 times your tickets amount to save them from that, as I'm sure you would've for your friends.

 

[robbiex0r]

I've had some friends who burned through 6 fake IDs and 5 drinking tickets before ever turning 21....

you're gonna be ok

 

[BigJake6904]

Be happy your not my roommate. He got intoxicated and busted by Residence Life his first night in college. He then, not two weeks later got a DUI, busted with a fake ID, and thrown in jail with his car towed. The university put a lock on his car so he couldn't get it until he went and talked with university officials. Then, he was summoned to the behavior council, and when they delivered his letter, they busted me for having half a bottle of dissarono on my desk. He got in trouble for that as well since he was in the room. And I had to deal with the alcohol offense.

I hate College.

 

[Aeroscott]

...but what an asshole officer man.

Why do you judge the officer as such? If I read the posts in this thread correctly, the original poster said the officer was friendly and joked with him a bit while they conversed. So the copper is a bad guy for enforcing the law that people and their legislators have enacted? I know, it would have been nice for the officer to exercise discretion here and let him go, but for some reason he did not. But that doesn't make him bad.

Here's the thing: Most onerous laws, and their enforcement, can be directly attributed to someone screwing up and ruining it for others. It's quite likely the original poster's college or his college town is currently experiencing a rash of trouble with intoxicated college kids and the coppers have received recent directives to take action to curb underage drinking and extreme public intoxication by those of legal age. Their department likely wants to see a pile of tickets so they can take them (just the statistics, actually) to the city leaders and show them as proof that they are taking measures to curb problems associated with intoxication. Or maybe a college kid or two died as a result of some drunken binge activity and their parents are suing the college and its town for tacitly allowing underage and binge drinking by their kids who are away from home. Who knows.

I do think you judged the officer a bit harsh.

As an officer, it's nice to read that. Thanks brother... :thumbs:

In my past conflicts with people of the "Blue" persuation in the 1980's I have found when dealing with police:

1. always keep your hands where they can easily be seen by the officer.
2. always cooperate with the officer and do what he says at all times.
3. dont ever call the officer bad names such as "Pig" or "oinker"
4. say "yes sir" and "no sir" "i don't know what came over me sir", "I'll never do it again sir" ect. ect.

Usually when these guidelines are followed, the officer usually doesn't kill, beat, or tourture the person he is questioning or arresting. Usually you get treated like a human bieng if you act like one. :laugh:

 

[smokinbolt]

While it sucks this happened I think it is assinine for anyone to tell you not to drink underage. Probably all of us had a drink under 21 and while we were wrong, no harm no foul. I thank you for not drinking and driving because that kills innocent lives.

 

[TugBoat]

I have to agree with many of the above posts.

It sucks it happened. I have only been old enough to legally drink for about 6 weeks, before then I knew the risks and decided to proceed anyway. I made sure to minimize any chance of injury and being caught any way I could (having a DD, staying the night, etc...) It sounds like you also knew the risks, decided to proceed, got busted and have accepted the consequences, I know how difficult that is, good job.

I also think you did the right thing walking the girl to her dorm, you getting a ticket for public intoxication is much better than the off chance something happened to her. A friend of mine was assaulted almost a year ago, if I had the ability to go back and stop what happened I would much rather "be judged by twelve" and risk doing time than to allow the events in that night to have happened.

Unfortunately some laws and police departments don't allow much room for an officer to use there own discretion. Most of the officers I know would of told you to get back home and would explain that if they see you again you will get a ticket for anything and everything they can, but in some places this is not an option. I find it interesting that some places count on an officer to make the decision to use deadly force when it is necessary, but won't allow them to decide that a person should be given a warning and sent home in your situation.

And one last note:

What's the citation for? Public Intox? Chances are, you can fight it. Definitely request a trial date and present the scenario to the judge. You might get popped with a "learn your lesson about drinking" kind of fine, but it will likely be less than a P.I. fine, and adjudication will also probably be withheld.

MiamiCubano is right, fight the ticket and try explaining to a judge the situation. Hopefully you can get off with a small fine and have to go to a couple AA meetings or something. I have only met 2 or 3 judges but of those few they were all very understanding people with their heads on straight. Hopefully they will take the situation into account and let you off with a more manageable punishment.

Good luck and let us know what you do.

 

[dk_ace]

It's a double-edged sword here of sorts.

Yeah, you did the proper, chivalrous thing to do by walking the dames to their dorm. Now just man up and deal with the fallout and put it past you. But, for the future...

Remember, you blew it by drinking in the first place. You're not of age, correct? Or did I miscomprehend that?

The true analysis here is not, "what should I have done?...let them walk home alone or get them cab?"
Rather, the introspection you need to undertake is whether you should have been consuming alcohol in the first place. It's not simply because you chose to walk the broads home that you got nailed - it's that you had been drinking. Don't lose sight of the true culprit here, although your post seems to acknowledge it (it just also goes on to discuss the "what should I have done" so-called quandry you described).

Took the words right out of my mouth.

First off, you did deserve this! You got a ticket for consuming alcohol under the legal age, which is exactly what you did. That means: you deserved it.

Don't miss the reality here. It would be easy to deceive yourself into thinking that you got in trouble for walking the girls home. The real truth is you got in trouble for drinking underage. It had nothing to do with the girls. Had you been walking them home sober, this whole thing wouldn't have happened.

Do yourself a favor and leave the alcohol alone until you're legal. I mean honestly, didn't I read in here somewhere that you're a few months from 21? It really won't kill you to pass on the alcohol for a few more months, and it certainly would have saved you a lot of trouble in this case.

All that aside, if this was the worst day of your life, you've got a pretty good life. You'll be past all this soon, and you'll probably hardly remember it in a few months. Learn the lesson and move on, that $375 won't make or break you in the big picture of things.

D

 

[CigarAl]

I agree with most of what was posted and think you did the right thing (both for the girl and with the officer) but I must be missing something here.

Why did he stop you? Unless your actions warranted his stopping and questioning you, or you were in a place where you were not supposed to be, then why did he even suspect you were under the influence?

While not exeactly the same a similar sitaution happened to me my freshman year and I was way guiltier than you. Our freshman dorm was was above a convienence that sold beer. One Friday I went down with some buddies and purchase a six pack for myself with a few other things. We wont get into how I procured the beer (I already admitted to be guilitieer in this story). Get on the elevator to go back to my room and one of the Residence Advisors was on the elevator with us. About half way up he asks whats in the bag. No other conversation, nithing and you could not see the beer in the large paper shopping bag. I tell him some thing I got at the store downstairs.

Long story short he makes me come down the the offices calls security and after a lot of discussion back and forth I open the bag. I was accomdating and not resiting at all. Was written up and expected further action.

Well after weeks go by, I hear nothing about this. Now I am not that upset becasue I didnt want to get in touble, I also did want this hanging over my head unresolved.

I made an appointment to meet with dorm director. I meet with her and she says she has no report on any incidnets outstanding for me. After comfirming this I left. Now mind you, that night they called campus security and I can assure I was written. I was not turned over the local police.

I later learned this was "disposed" of because the RA had no right to ask me what was in my bag in the first place.

Again, this is not the same as your situation, however it does beg the questions, why did the officer stop you in the first place.

I am not judging the officer in any way shape or form, but I am sorry, unless you were doing something that warranted his stopping you, this doesnt fly with me.

Am I the only one?