Fairfax County Welcomes Drunk Drivers ...

So you had a few too many at happy hour.....so you swerved into a lane of oncoming traffic.....so you ran a red light and almost t-boned a van full of kids - no worries mate because in Fairfax County, Virginia your DWI case may get dismissed no matter what you blew on the breathalyzer test.

That's right. A 'maverick' general district court judge in my home county has started dismissing cases of DWI because he feels Virginia's DWI law unfairly deprived defendants of the presumption of innocence if breath tests showed that they had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, levels at which people are presumed to be intoxicated. He says that at this point the burden of proof is wrongly shifted from the prosecution to the defense. So you don't get to come into the court innocent until proven guilty - it's presumed you're guilty as soon as you blow more than a .08.

As much as I disagree with completely dismissing these cases - because you can't appeal a case that has lost at his court level - I must say that this judge does have a point. Our 5th Amendment states the following:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Which means that you don't have to say or do anything in the course of a trial - including proving your innocence. The prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you definitely did the crime. And a breathalyzer test is apparently not as accurate as some would like for you to believe. It is said that since the test may not be administered until over an hour after your traffic stop - that your blood alcohol level may have continued to rise - causing a false result. And blood tests are usually not administered on the scene either.

My $.02 - If an officer pulls you over on suspicion of drunken driving and you blow more than a .08 BAC and fail the field sobriety tests, then I think you should definitely get some sort of punishment. If you are going to put other people's lives in danger by getting behind the wheel when you are impaired, then you shouldn't be able to get behind the wheel for a while. Bottom line - call a cab, take a bus, have a sober driver, or do your drinking at home.

Oh and a funny little tidbit - the judge's name - Ian M. O'Flaherty. Imagine that - an irishman!

You Can't Control Me ....

or can you? According to an article I just read - A Remote Control That Controls Humans - it may be possible in the future. Evidently some Japanese scientists that work for a telephone company, have come up with a headset and remote control (like the ones for the rc cars) that will send a low voltage electric current through your brain that will affect your balance and cause you to move in certain directions to keep from falling down. The company says that they want to develop this technology further to enhance video games - but the author of the article foreshadows a much darker use...controlling military forces during times of war and conflict. Although I like the thought of using this against someone that is about to do something stupid - like rob a bank or blow themselves up. You could shoot some juice at them and cause them to run the other way.

Now, if you were my husband - you would have immediately thought of more practical uses.....like getting your wife to clean, cook and grab you beers during the game. Isn't he sweet? But ladies, if that was the case - then imagine all of the projects around the house and yard that could get done in a weekend.

Road Rage Advice ...

I know the traffic in DC is worse than most areas, but I'm sure some of you get road rage every now and then, right? Well instead of trying to keep one hand on the wheel while you finagle your pants past your butt to moon someone - you may want to try this Road Rage Flip Book. Just remember not to stop in case the person is crazy or has a handy gun rack.

Enjoy!

Baby News ...

It's October 12th and we have 7 more weeks until 'boy' is supposed to arrive. (We're calling him boy until we name him - and we're not naming him until we meet him.) You know what that means right? Time to scramble! This past weekend my best friend Leigh threw me and David a coed baby shower. That's right, I said coed - there were men there. It's not the 50's and it's not just MY baby - it's OUR baby. Plus we didn't want any girlie froo-froo shower - just a nice, small get-together for friends and family where everyone could socialize, eat, watch football and take part in some silliness if they so choose.

I must say that Leigh did an excellent job with the shower. She and Kyra pulled it together and I really don't think there was anything that they could have done better - the food was terrific, the activities were great and the relaxed atmosphere was absolutely perfect!! Take a look for yourself and see what a wonderful job they did and what a great time everyone had - Baby Shower Pictures.

The day after the shower was a federal holiday, so David and I didn't have to fight rush hour traffic - which was very nice. Instead we spent the day baby shopping - getting all the essentials that we think we'll need for boy's arrival. I must say that shopping for baby stuff takes a lot of willpower and self control. There are just too many cute clothes and toys! We got home late that afternoon and I made David start putting together the nursery immediately. Maybe I'm excited, maybe I'm nesting, or maybe I'm just anal - but I feel much better now that we have almost everything we think we'll need. Here's what we have so far - Nursery photos.

Also, my mom came down on Thursday and spent a long weekend with us for the shower. It was so great to have her around to do girlie things with and ask for her advice. I really had a wonderful time and wish that we lived closer to each other so that we could do it more often. You don't realize how great your mom is until you're about to have a child!