Comments on: Woman Gets 20 Years In Prison For DUI Death Of Bicyclist http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist Local News for Molino, Bratt, McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Cantonment Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:56:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: JW http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-25845 JW Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:42:11 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-25845 The punishments for DUI are ever increasing. Educational programs go on for a year or two. What is it that causes people not to learn? I think mental illness is involved. What else can explain bad choices in the face of such penalties? The thing about drinking and drug offenses is that nobody sets out thinking they are harming anyone. Often it is an escape from significant life problems. The problem is how do we now who has them? Nobody volunteers for treatment. I wonder how many people use alcohol as an over the counter prescription for anxiety and depression disorders? I suppose we gravitate towards harsh life ending penalties rather than figure out where we are going wrong, because it is easier, and it feels good, especially if we don't have to witness the results. I'm not condoning this. I'm just making a point. I think a lot of the problem lies in children being raised in environments that render them dysfunctional adults. The popular thing to do is to ignore that and take revenge. I admit some of these people are not easy to sympathize with, especially if there has been a tragedy. I just think if we did a better job raising kids and recognizing mental illness, this would be a smaller problem. We build prisons instead....because it creates jobs that don't require an education. I'm sure this will fire people up but it's just my take. The punishments for DUI are ever increasing. Educational programs go on for a year or two. What is it that causes people not to learn? I think mental illness is involved. What else can explain bad choices in the face of such penalties? The thing about drinking and drug offenses is that nobody sets out thinking they are harming anyone. Often it is an escape from significant life problems. The problem is how do we now who has them? Nobody volunteers for treatment. I wonder how many people use alcohol as an over the counter prescription for anxiety and depression disorders? I suppose we gravitate towards harsh life ending penalties rather than figure out where we are going wrong, because it is easier, and it feels good, especially if we don’t have to witness the results. I’m not condoning this. I’m just making a point. I think a lot of the problem lies in children being raised in environments that render them dysfunctional adults. The popular thing to do is to ignore that and take revenge. I admit some of these people are not easy to sympathize with, especially if there has been a tragedy. I just think if we did a better job raising kids and recognizing mental illness, this would be a smaller problem. We build prisons instead….because it creates jobs that don’t require an education. I’m sure this will fire people up but it’s just my take.

]]> By: Velocentric http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24551 Velocentric Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:10:14 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24551 They have alchohol detection systems in buses in Europe and are having problems with use of hand sanitizers locking out the ignition. We have got to stop treating the priviledge to operate a motor vehicle as a right. This woman should never have gotten her license back after the first DUI. Speeding fines used to be the equivalent of $600.00 that would be a good start. They have alchohol detection systems in buses in Europe and are having problems with use of hand sanitizers locking out the ignition.

We have got to stop treating the priviledge to operate a motor vehicle as a right.
This woman should never have gotten her license back after the first DUI.
Speeding fines used to be the equivalent of $600.00 that would be a good start.

]]> By: Just Because http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24547 Just Because Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:04:10 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24547 Wild Bill, According to my math if I don't drink, then I don't need to waste the $200 on something that would never need to be used by me, and a breathalyzer in my vehicle won't protect me from a drunk on the highway. Drinking is a choice, having a accident isn't. I'm glad you have never been at fault in an accident, neither have I. You nor I have any control over others driving, that could put us in an accident at any time. On the other hand, I made a choice to not drink several years ago. I feel that stricter penalties for DUI would be in order. I feel that if you get arrested for DUI then you should lose your license for life, and it should be enforced, if your caught driving without a license because of DUI, then you should serve time in prison. Why do I feel this way, because we all know the consequence of DUI, and we are free to make a choice in this, either drink and drive, or don't drink and drive. And like you said, some people would defeat it, I suspect most drunks would, I wouldn't doubt some drunk would probably stagger out to his car and get his 10 year old kid to blow in the tube. Wild Bill,
According to my math if I don’t drink, then I don’t need to waste the $200 on something that would never need to be used by me, and a breathalyzer in my vehicle won’t protect me from a drunk on the highway. Drinking is a choice, having a accident isn’t. I’m glad you have never been at fault in an accident, neither have I. You nor I have any control over others driving, that could put us in an accident at any time. On the other hand, I made a choice to not drink several years ago. I feel that stricter penalties for DUI would be in order. I feel that if you get arrested for DUI then you should lose your license for life, and it should be enforced, if your caught driving without a license because of DUI, then you should serve time in prison. Why do I feel this way, because we all know the consequence of DUI, and we are free to make a choice in this, either drink and drive, or don’t drink and drive. And like you said, some people would defeat it, I suspect most drunks would, I wouldn’t doubt some drunk would probably stagger out to his car and get his 10 year old kid to blow in the tube.

]]> By: Wild Bill http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24512 Wild Bill Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:07:44 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24512 Just Because, A whole bunch of people thought (and some still think) seat belts and air bags were/are a waste of money. I have never been at fault in an accident, so why should I have to wear a seat belt and pay for air bags on my truck? Because they save lives! Mandatory breathalyzers would cost very little in a mass market situation, probably less than a couple hundred bucks after the dealer mark up. Portable breathalyzers are less than $100 online, figure another $100 to tie it in to the vehicle's ignition system. Seems like a small cost for a big savings in the long run. Breathalyzer installed on vehicle $200 Being hit by drunk driver $5000 Being killed by drunk driver PRICELESS You do the math! You say you support mandatory breathalyzers for anyone caught DUI. Maybe you overlooked the fact that not every drunk driver gets a second chance, for some the first time is the charm that ends their life, or the life of an innocent victim. And yes some people will figure out how to defeat the system so it won't be 100%. For those who do and are found guilty I would support mandatory lifetime license revocation. Just Because,
A whole bunch of people thought (and some still think) seat belts and air bags were/are a waste of money.

I have never been at fault in an accident, so why should I have to wear a seat belt and pay for air bags on my truck? Because they save lives!

Mandatory breathalyzers would cost very little in a mass market situation, probably less than a couple hundred bucks after the dealer mark up. Portable breathalyzers are less than $100 online, figure another $100 to tie it in to the vehicle’s ignition system. Seems like a small cost for a big savings in the long run.

Breathalyzer installed on vehicle $200

Being hit by drunk driver $5000

Being killed by drunk driver PRICELESS

You do the math! You say you support mandatory breathalyzers for anyone caught DUI. Maybe you overlooked the fact that not every drunk driver gets a second chance, for some the first time is the charm that ends their life, or the life of an innocent victim. And yes some people will figure out how to defeat the system so it won’t be 100%. For those who do and are found guilty I would support mandatory lifetime license revocation.

]]> By: Billy http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24494 Billy Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:53:39 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24494 Lynn you hit the nail on the head. I think that if they are going to punish people this severely, they should be much more strict on plain ole DUIs. You get to pay a fine for the DUI but if you kill someone while DUI, you get sent to prison for 20 years. Im all for this woman's sentence being hard and long but I believe the DUI penalties should be much tougher even if you don't kill someone. Lynn you hit the nail on the head. I think that if they are going to punish people this severely, they should be much more strict on plain ole DUIs. You get to pay a fine for the DUI but if you kill someone while DUI, you get sent to prison for 20 years. Im all for this woman’s sentence being hard and long but I believe the DUI penalties should be much tougher even if you don’t kill someone.

]]> By: Just Because http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24488 Just Because Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:01:33 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24488 Justsaying, the invasion of privacy wouldn't be that big of an issue with me in a case such as this. My problem would be with the cost, I don't know but I figure that Breathalyzers are probably expensive. Since I haven't drank a drop of alcohol since April 10, 1986 and don't intend to drink any in the future, any cost to me in my opinion would be a serious waste of money, with the price of everything else today. As for the government doing it, I would feel the same way about my tax money, if they installed Breathalyzers in millions of cars of people that don't drink. On the other hand I fully support installing them in vehicles of anyone that has a DUI on their record. Justsaying, the invasion of privacy wouldn’t be that big of an issue with me in a case such as this. My problem would be with the cost, I don’t know but I figure that Breathalyzers are probably expensive. Since I haven’t drank a drop of alcohol since April 10, 1986 and don’t intend to drink any in the future, any cost to me in my opinion would be a serious waste of money, with the price of everything else today. As for the government doing it, I would feel the same way about my tax money, if they installed Breathalyzers in millions of cars of people that don’t drink. On the other hand I fully support installing them in vehicles of anyone that has a DUI on their record.

]]> By: justsaying http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24449 justsaying Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:25:04 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24449 Why not install breathalyzers on ALL cars? No one has the right to drive while over the legal limit. Period. I can hear people saying that this would be an "Invasion" of privacy but how else can we prevent this from happening. No one intends to cause an accident while driving. I think that DUI's are so tragic because for every other type of crime you MUST have the intent to do the crime. When people get behind the wheel drunk they don't say "Hey lets go kill someone and see if we can get away with" no matter how irresponsible their actions may be. It would be so simple to take the choice, because no one should have the choice anyway, away from them by installing breathalyzers. Why not install breathalyzers on ALL cars? No one has the right to drive while over the legal limit. Period. I can hear people saying that this would be an “Invasion” of privacy but how else can we prevent this from happening. No one intends to cause an accident while driving. I think that DUI’s are so tragic because for every other type of crime you MUST have the intent to do the crime. When people get behind the wheel drunk they don’t say “Hey lets go kill someone and see if we can get away with” no matter how irresponsible their actions may be.

It would be so simple to take the choice, because no one should have the choice anyway, away from them by installing breathalyzers.

]]> By: robt http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24448 robt Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:24:29 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24448 Bleh - last I heard he got a well deserved raise. Nice work officer and keep that scum off our streets anyway you can. Bleh – last I heard he got a well deserved raise. Nice work officer and keep that scum off our streets anyway you can.

]]> By: Good http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24442 Good Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:43:41 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24442 Finally. Third time's the charm I guess Finally. Third time’s the charm I guess

]]> By: Dan H. http://www.northescambia.com/2009/10/woman-gets-20-years-for-dui-death-of-bicyclist/comment-page-1#comment-24434 Dan H. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:01:23 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=11911#comment-24434 Hey bleh: In this country, the accused is innocent unless or until proven guilty. That hasn't changed yet. Let's not rush to judgement. Insofar as Rivkin is concerned, she has been found guilty as charged. Her punishment was on the light side, but the state prisons in Florida are not country clubs! (I worked at one). Hey bleh:

In this country, the accused is innocent unless or until
proven guilty. That hasn’t changed yet. Let’s not rush to
judgement.

Insofar as Rivkin is concerned, she has been found guilty as charged.
Her punishment was on the light side, but the state prisons in Florida
are not country clubs! (I worked at one).

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