Hit with a DWI, many pick jail: More first-time offenders decide that probation is more of a ‘hassle’.
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Sep. 24–So you had a few drinks too many and, for the first time in your life, got pulled over on your way home. The prosecutor offers a simple deal: Instead of going to trial, you can plead guilty to driving while intoxicated and get probation. That’s an easy one, right? For a surprising number of first-time DWI offenders in Harris County, however, the choice isn’t so clear. Facing the stiff costs and strict rules that come with probation, thousands of convicted drivers in recent years have decided spending time behind bars is the better option. And in a county already struggling with crowded jails, that’s a disturbing trend. Sentences can be short enough to mean losing only one weekend and a vacation day, but some end up behind bars as long as half… Source : accessmylibrary.com |