Questions are being raised about the handling of a Bartlett, Tennessee police officer who was found off-duty in an accident where she rolled over her jeep, which contained an open liquor bottle. EMTs reportedly smelled alcohol and Officer Teresa Brignole refused a sobriety test. However, the officers at the scene supported her in saying that they did not smell alcohol and she was not charged with DUI.
The internal investigation was unable to be completed bevause Brignole, 43, is on medical leave. Police Chief Gary Rikard has indicated that they may allow a grand jury to look into the matter to clear up public misgivings.
Brignole suffered a laceration on her head and several broken vertebrae in the crash of her Jeep. Two of three officers said that they did not smell alcohol. It is not clear what the third officer stated from news reports.
While she could have crashed the Jeep without the influence of alcohol, the refusal of the test is a bit off-putting for an officer.
This is only the latest controversy over officers in a slew of recent cases involving alleged DUI, here and here and here and here.
For the full story, click here.
Duh,
If ever driving in Ontario again, go ahead, take your chances and drive with a bottle beside you in the passenger seat. Living here, I will continue to pack mine safe & sound in the trunk, where I know it’s supposed to be.
You have done a phenomenol job of steering away from the real question that this article poses however. Why was this officer not checked for blood/alcohol level as she should have been considering there was spilled alcohol at the seen?
Canadian Eh,
Per the link you provided:
http://www.agco.on.ca/en/t.tools/t3.1.general.alcohol.faqs.html
“7. Under what circumstances is it illegal to transport beverage alcohol?
It is illegal to transport beverage alcohol in a motor vehicle, a motorized snow vehicle or a boat unless the beverage alcohol is in a container that is unopened and the seal unbroken, or unless the beverage alcohol is packaged in baggage that is fastened closed or is not otherwise readily available to anyone in the vehicle.”
There is nothing illegal about carrying a “sealed” container of alcohol in the passenger compartment. I wonder what the law means by “fastened closed”. Does that mean locked? Is “zipped-up” the equilivant of “fastened closed”?
Professor,
WordPress has differing levels of configurable user access, but I suspect that’s way more work than you either want or need.
In the alternative, might I suggest a separate submission thread like the corrections thread just so we won’t get in the way of He Who Must Be Kept Happy by cluttering up the corrections thread with unrelated links.
Speaking of bad cops . . . news from Arizona:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/01/07/20100107joe-arpaio-grand-jury.html
Duh,
http://www.agco.on.ca/en/t.tools/t3.1.general.alcohol.faqs.html
look at point # 7 on that link and you will find the support for my first claim. Additionally, you can also find more support for my claims at http://www.canadianlawsite.ca
The AGCO is the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
I think Ella is selling handbags or something. You see that sort of stuff in lots of blogs. Its a “bot”. An ad-bot.
An evil ad-bot.
Canadian Eh,
“I don’t know where in Canada you were driving when you showed the officers your bottle….Quebec perhaps, but the above is Canadian / Federal law. It is taken seriously in Ontario.”
It was Ontario. I was on my way to Rainy Lake.
I have searched but was unable to find any Canadian/Federal Law concerning open container. I found Provincial Law, but none that would interfere with carrying an unopened container in the passenger compartment. From what I could find, it is permissable for passengers to have an open container.
Could you please give a link to a website that would support your claim? It may be that you were misinformed.