Is Washington Too Soft On DUI Cases?

Ross Reynolds
01/26/2007 at 12:00 p.m.

About 300 people die each year because of driving under the influence in Washington State. Some cases are highly publicized, like the woman who allegedly was driving under the influence when she killed a Seattle rookie police officer. She was facing a pending driving under the influence charge that the time of the accident. The Seattle Times reported that more than 30,000 drivers in Washington state have racked up multiple DUI cases in the last six years.

Today on The Conversation, should there be tougher laws on DUI violations? Would tougher laws stop people from driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs? Have they made a difference in other states? Has your life been touched by drunk driving? Have you ever gotten picked up for driving under the influence? Give us a call, tell us about what happened to you and whether you think things should change.

Guests:
Carol Tice wrote an article on Washington DUI law for the current issue of Seattle Magazine.
Geoff Burg is an attorney in Seattle who defends people with DUI offenses.
Amy Freedheim is the King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor for felony traffic crimes. She's been prosecuting DUI homicides for seven years.