With Memorial Day Weekend Fast Approaching, Polk County Criminal District Attorney, William Lee Hon Offers Would Be Intoxicated Drivers a Deal They Can't Refuse.
LIVINGSTON, May 19, 2009 - Polk County District Attorney William Lee Hon serves notice to would be intoxicated drivers that Polk County will not tolerate driving while intoxicated.. Hon is taking extra measures and will bear down with the full force of the law in order to keep a driving and boating public safe. With the goal of ensuring the safety of the motoring and boating public, and reducing the number of intoxicated drivers and boaters on Lake Livingston and on Polk County roadways over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, multiple law enforcement agencies are joining together in Polk County's second "No Refusal Weekend." According to Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon, additional troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety will be assigned to work in Polk County with the specific objective of identifying potentially intoxicated drivers. In addition, additional game wardens with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife will be patrolling Lake Livingston to promote water safety. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents will also be assigned to Polk County for the purpose of identifying potential violations of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code as it relates to the sale and on premises consumption of alcoholic beverages. According to Hon, officers with the Polk County Sheriff's Department, Livingston Police Department and Onalaska Police Department who are certified to administer field sobriety tests will also be assigned to work peak hours throughout the weekend.
According to Hon, the term "No Refusal Weekend" is derived from a law enforcement initiative which has been conducted successfully throughout the state whereby individuals arrested on suspicion of Driving While Intoxicated who refuse to voluntarily provide a specimen of their breath will be required to provide a blood specimen pursuant to a search warrant issued by a judge. Over the Memorial Day Weekend, prosecutors with the Polk County Criminal District Attorney's Office will be available at the Polk County Jail to assist arresting officers in the preparation of search warrant applications. Hon stated that "411th District Judge Robert Trapp, 258th District Judge Elizabeth Coker and Polk County Court at Law Judge Stephen Phillips have each agreed to be available throughout the holiday weekend to rule on search warrant applications." "In addition, Americare and Lone Star EMS services have volunteered to assist in the execution of the search warrants for blood specimens at the jail," Hon added. In Texas, a driver with a blood alcohol level of .08 and above is presumed to be "intoxicated" for purposes of operating a vehicle. In counties that have implemented this program over "high traffic" holiday weekends, law enforcement has been extremely successful in removing intoxicated drivers from the road. In cases where a blood or breath specimen is obtained, conviction rates for DWI approach 95%, according to Hon.
In the first "No Refusal Weekend" which was conducted over the course of the 2008 Memorial Day Weekend in Polk County, a total of 19 arrests were made for either Driving While Intoxicated or Boating While Intoxicated. Of the 19 suspects arrested, two were charged with Felony Driving While Intoxicated due to the fact that they had multiple prior DWI convictions. "The statistic that we are most proud of from last year is that there were zero intoxication related crashes over the course of the 2008 Memorial Day Weekend here locally. There were no wrecks, no injuries, and no fatalities on Polk County roadways over the course of that weekend," Hon added.
"Ultimately, what this program is about is saving lives," Hon stated. "The success rate will always be somewhat hard to judge from the standpoint that we'll never know how many lives we save or accidents we prevent," Hon said. "I could not be more pleased with the level of enthusiasm and cooperation we have received in support of this project by DPS, Parks and Wildlife, TABC, the Polk County Sheriff's Department, the Livingston Police Department, the Onalaska Police Department, our district judges, and our ambulance services," Hon added. "We want the people in Polk County to have a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend. For those who feel inclined to use alcohol in their festivities, we simply ask that they do so responsibly and use a designated driver while traveling," Hon concluded.
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