Phelps in Trouble?

Originally posted by emmett I agree with geek. Driving drunk is not and never has been a mistake. It is a crime - and potentially lethal at that. It should always be punished for the crime that it is. In my view, when a person makes a conscious choice to consume ANY amount of alcohol, knowing they may soon be behind the wheel, they become a menace. Kids (and 19 is still a "kid") don't always make good choices - that's understandable. But when they make choices that endanger the rest of us they need to suffer the same consequences adults would suffer. Like it or not whatever happens to Phelps WILL have an effect on how many kids think about alcohol and driving. I don't think anyone suggested that he get off free. Of course he should be punished the same as any 19 year old would be. But it is a mistake. He should serve his punishment ( I don't know what that would be ) and then move on..

[ SOME OF YOU, GUYS, HERE sound like pure saints, I swear.Tell me honestly you never in your ENTIRE LIFE got in your car after drinking 3 beers or so... If you did you are no better than MIchael even if you were not pulled over for DUI(just got lucky then)Because these days THAT IS ALL IT TAKES to be tested over the legal limit.These days you can put a drop of alcohol in your system and be busted for DUI.Give the kid a break!!!THe news like to make a mountain out of a molehill to make it exciting and readable 'cause it involves a star. Everyone is so good accusing others, but the question is:do you have the right to do so?have you never drunken when under 21 or got in a car after at least a beer?If you did than I think you should not even say anything in this regard, 'cause you'd be a hypocrite. By saying that I am by no means justifying Michael's case, that is wrong, he slipped, but I think we all have in our lifes, no one's perfect.So stop playing a judge and better check your own closet, 'cause I am sure you have enough dirty linen there....

I agree, very well put Hooked. We don't need to drag him through the mud because he made a slip up. We don't even know the whole story. Since he is underage, the DUI could simply because he drank at all, he could have had half a beer. He may have ran the stop sign because he didn't see it, it was late, he was tired, it was a new road and he didn't know it was there. We don't know for a fact that he ran that sign because he was drunk. There are so many factors that are unknown that we need to know all of them before you can tear him apart for making a human error. ~Kyra

Originally posted by aquageek You gotta be drinking while posting. So, the first one is free? Let's give him another chance to kill someone and then we can get serious about drinking and driving. Geek, I seriously doubt the first one is free for him. I don't know the laws in Maryland or what kind of sentence he will get, but it is very likely he will lose his liscence and not be allowed to drive for one to two years. He may have to attend classes and/or do community service. Imagine having to live without a liscence. It is tough, I have seen people go through it and most DO learn their lesson. My point is that I am GLAD he did not hurt anyone, is learning this lesson without hurting anyone but it is a mistake, yes a very stupid mistake and he should have known better, even at 19. But people make mistakes....All of us make mistakes....are we going to lock him up throw away the key because of this? Let the judicial system decide his punishment, it surely will not be light and from what I have seen of Phelps, he will take this seriously and it will not happen again. I don' t believe that he is a chronic, habitual drunk driver, just someone who had poor judgement on that night. And someone who should be thanking his lucky stars that it was just a stop sign and not the side of a car he ran. Sometimes people need a smack up side the head to show them what is right, especially at Phelp's age. He luckily is getting that smack without killing anyone.

Originally posted by aquageek Guvnah: Then, we have hooked-on-swimming saying we are making too big a deal out of this. Wonder how folks who have lost family members to drunk drivers feel about that statement? I'm not saying Phelps should be hung for this but it's a hell of a lot more than some mistake or bump in the road. I did not say it is not a big deal, 'cause it is... I just urged you, guys, to think what you did and did not in your life regarding to drinking or drinking and driving and if you really have the right make some statements, since you might be no better.We will all see a mouse in someone else's mouth but won't notice an elefant in ours ...

It's kind of like the Steve Martin routine (about not paying taxes): I forgot drinking and driving is both dangerous and against the law. Then, if someone asks how you could possibly forget something like that, just say,"Well excuuuuuuse me!"

Some places if you are DUI your vehicle is confiscated, you go to jail for I year. Our BC premier was lucky he was caught drinking in Hawaii where it was not a criminal offence. If he had been driving in BC he would have been charged with a criminal offence. So I guess drinking and driving can either be a criminal offence or a misdemeanor it all depends on where you are. Hooked-on I guess it is OK to drink and drive as long as you don't get caught. George

It isn't ok to drink and drive, but I'm am sure that during many peoples college days they are guilty. I'm sure that not everyone posting was an angel in college or even earlier for that matter. How quickly people forget once they have been away from that life for a while.

AQUAGEEK, i HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU: have you ever run a stop-light in your life without noticing(although you would not know unless the officer pulled you over and told you that), ever got a speeding ticket or were just speeding and got away with it, ever changed lanes without showing your blinkers, ever changed lanes too soon, 'cause you realised you are about to miss an exit, ever rushed to work being very tired(lack of sleep or whatnot), ever had a drop af alcohol(no matter what amount) and drove, ever drunk when under 21, ever tried to bfly through the yellow light before it turns red, ETC., ETC., ETC.All these things can put other people's lifes in danger without you realising that, and the list continues.Now tell me honestly you are clear of all these and then I will listen to every word you preach, otherwise I think we should correct our behavior first rather than trying to correct Michael's which he is responsible for himself(and realises it!) IF WE ALL KEEP CLOSER ATTENTION TO WHAT WE DO RATHER THAN LOOKING INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S ACTIONS THIS WORLD WOULD BE SO MUCH SAFER!!!!

I find the comments from those outside of Maryland on Phelps' news item interesting. However, being one who lives within the boundaries of the State of Maryland and from my professional experience, please allow me to comment some of things already said. Regarding license restrictions in Maryland and DUI/DWI, if you are convicted of DUI or DWI, you may have your license suspended (for a time determined by the judge), revoked or restricted (alcohol restriction, driving restriction like may drive to and from work). If Phelps was driving against a restriction on his license, it could be for something like the requirement for glasses or contact lenses. Maryland is no "pushover" for DUI/DWI offenses. If the judge in Salisbury, Maryland (which is the County seat of Wicomico County in Maryland's eastern shore) "throw the book" at Michael, just remember the maximum penalties already stated in the press. The up to $1,000 fine and/or assignment to drive rehabilitation and/or assignment to Drinking Driver Monitor Program and/or up to 1 year in imprisonment in the county's detention center and/or assignment to community service are all at the judge disposal. And, there's the fines for running the stop sign and points, plus the points for a conviction of either DUI or DWI. Judges in smaller Maryland Counties tend to be very conservative, especially to those miscreants not "from around here" and don't take a liking to outsides messing around in their communities and posing a threat to the public. Judges here take a dim view of defendants, especially those with stature, who don't show up for trials. I agree that Mr. Phelps needs to accept the consequences of his stupidity and pay with whatever is meeted out to him by the court. However, if this make him realize, once and for all, that this type of behavior is not acceptable for anyone, then all the better. Drinking and driving is a serious offense, nonetheless; my past experience with victims and offenders alike have reminded me of this. There is one thing we need to remember in the United States, is that one is innocent until proven guilty. I am sure we all agree the seriousness of this, but permit the Maryland courts adjudicate Phelps' guilt or innocence.