I have had several occasions where I could have gone to jail for DWI. Got pulled over by Galveston County on hwy. 87 coming back from the beach. Cop said I had crossed the center stripe a couple times. Asked how many drinks I had had and I told him about 10. I saw no reason to tell him a couple because he knew better. Like Hippy said, I yes sir, no sirred him as always, didn’t argue or lie, and cooperated. He made me park on the side of 87 and took my keys. Said he would be back at 4:00 a.m. This happened about 10:00 p.m. I slept it off and was sound asleep when I heard a tapping on my window. I woke up fuzzy headed and looked to see the same cop dangling my keys at my window. I rolled down my window, he handed me my keys and told me to be safe driving home. End of story. This is not what we were always told about Galveston County sheriffs. We were told they didn’t “play around” especially with drinkers at the beach.
I know nothing about this cop or his “story” and this is not to excuse his guilt (I was guilty), but to say I understand. Cops are human after all, maybe he and his girl had just broken up and he had a few drinks to kill the pain (just an example of a number of things that could have happened). If he was a drinker who had been helped along already, then he needed to finally be stopped. If it was his first time, maybe even his second, and he wasn’t being an ass or doing 100 mph like an idiot, I don’t have a problem with being lenient with him. The courtesy was extended to me, so I believe in the reverse.