Thursday 25 December
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
First Drunk Driver
Caught Under New Law
Gives Up His Car To
Avoid Jail
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First Drunk Driver
Caught Under New Law
Gives Up His Car To
Avoid Jail
One of the four drunk
drivers (driving with
0.75 blood alcohol
content) surprised by
Tránsito officials on
Tuesday when the new Ley
de Tránsito took effect
has given up his vehicle
to avoid jail and
ordered to 100 days of
community work.
Francisco Fonseca, a
Fiscal with the Poder
Judicial, confirmed that
the driver pleaded
guilty, giving up his
right to a trial and
will donate the money
from the sale of his
vehicle to the Hospital
de Niños (Children's
Hospital) and will help
out the Cruz Roja (Red
Cross) as ordered by the
Tribunal de Flagrancia
on Tuesday night.
Fonseca said that the
other three drunk
drivers caught on
Tuesday are waiting a
hearing. "They have to
be sober to be able to
defend themselves", said
Fonseca.
The Fiscal added that
the confiscation of the
vehicle by the courts is
one measure that is
permitted under the new
law, which can be
applied to drunk drivers
as well to speeders
(anyone caught going
over 150 Km/h) and "picones"
(street racers).
The new Ley de Tránsito
does not call for a fine
against drunk drivers,
racers and speeders,
they are to be
automatically detained
and brought before the
Tribunal de Flagrancia
for a judge to determine
the sanction that can
include one to three
years in prison.
The director of the
Policía de Tránsito,
Germán Marín, reports
thay during the first 29
hours of the new law,
his officers have taken
a total of eight drunk
drivers to the
Tribunals.
subdirector, Huanelge
Gutiérrez, has made it
very clear that his
officers will be
targeting drunk drivers
and detained them under
a zero tolerance policy.
"We have been operating
spot checks in various
parts of the country
with the intention of
curbing drunk driving",
said Gutiérrez.
Fiscal Fonseca added
that not only the
Tribunal de Flagrancia,
but all Tribunals will
be available to deal
with drunk drivers and
that the identity of the
drivers will be
preserved not to affect
the judicial process,
being dealt with in the
same manner as a drug
trafficker or murderer.
Director Marín added
that lawyers of the
Fuerza Pública (police)
have been made available
to the officials of the
Policía de Tránsito,
offering training and
assistance in the arrest
and processing of
offending drivers. |
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