Inaugural Smoot Pedestrian DUI Check Point. Gotta keep the sidewalks safe.
Actually, I've had several friends arrested for public intox while walking home from Oktoberfest. They lived on the east bank of the river and walked home - there used to be an exit from the festival towards the pedestrian bridge. As a crowd flowed from the festival an officer stepped in front, an officer stepped behind and a group of 15-20 people were then breathalyzed and anyone over .08 was arrested for public intox and taken to David L. Moss.
I bailed a couple of them out for $200 each. A week later they plead No Contest to a misdemeanor and were fined $75, being issued a refund for the $200 in bail they spent. I figure booking costs and transport is probably $500 per person...for a net loss of $425 each.
But hey, you stopped a drunk from walking home! Thank god for that.
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The DUI checkpoint on the 21st Street Bridge this year stopped 273 vehicles. It netted 9 arrests for DUI. Statistically, maybe half of those will actually be convicted of DUI. For a 1.5% "success rate." The other 98.5% of citizens stopped without suspicion will not be convicted.
Search everyone, 4th Amendment be damned, and we might catch 2% for something!
Again: DUI is bad. I never drive after more than 1 drink. I took the shuttle from Oktoberfest and caught an Uber from the shuttle drop. No reason everyone else couldn't follow a similar path.
But DUI checkpoints are very dubious 4th Amendment searches IMO.
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Oktoberfest was awesome again this year. My fears of Riverparks taking over and the loss of the pitcher were unfounded. Its expensive if you want to drink a lot... but no one has to drink a lot anyway. The festival continues to improve.
Good times had by all.