April 02, 2011 (Press-News.org) Senate Bill 232 -- introduced in November by state senator Jane Nelson and currently being debated by the Criminal Justice Committee of the Texas State Senate -- recommends that every person put on probation following a conviction of driving while intoxicated (DWI) wear an alcohol-sensing monitor.
The most common of these monitors is known as a secure continuous remote alcohol monitor (SCRAM). SCRAM bracelets -- manufactured by Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. -- have gained notoriety due to high-profile DWI cases involving Hollywood celebrities. They are the most common type of topical alcohol monitoring system.
SCRAM bracelets work by using extremely sensitive monitoring equipment to sense minute amounts of alcohol detected through the wearer's skin. They also monitor attempts to tamper with their operation or remove them. They are proclaimed as being one of the few things that can keep drunk drivers from drinking again and as a viable method of keeping other motorists safe.
Opponents Decry Civil Rights Violations and False Positives
Opponents of Senator Nelson's legislation -- and the use of SCRAM systems in general -- point to a number of obvious negatives inherent with the monitors. These devices have been around long enough for state courts to have already tried implementing them as a condition of a DWI offender's probation. Many of those same courts have seen instances of malfunctioning bracelets.
The problem with having a system sensitive enough to detect microscopic amounts of alcohol being released through the skin is that topical products containing alcohol -- lotion, body sprays, colognes/perfumes, soaps and disinfectants -- can trigger a false positive. Unfortunately, once a positive reading has been recorded, the wearer is essentially in a "guilty until proven innocent" situation. The person wearing the bracelet could have literally been following his or her conditions of probation to the letter, but may have a hard time proving that the positive result was indeed a false one.
Another issue with SCRAM bracelets and other monitoring systems is that they are cost-prohibitive for many people convicted of DWI or other alcohol-related crimes. SCRAM bracelets, for example, can cost around $1,000 for 60 days of service. Ignition interlock systems can be even more expensive.
Most people with intimate knowledge of the justice system do not think that the law will change to require all DWI offenders to wear alcohol monitors as part of their probation. Individual judges might require the bracelets to be worn in exchange for release from confinement. If you have been charged with a DWI-related offense and you have questions about possible consequences of a conviction, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in your area today.
Article provided by Law Offices of Gary Churak, P.C.
Visit us at www.garychuraklaw.com
Proposed Legislation Would Require Alcohol Monitors for DWI Probation
If passed, Senate Bill 232 would require those on probation for DWI to wear an alcohol-sensing monitor.
2011-04-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Skywalker ensures optimal communication between neurons
2011-04-02
"I hope that unraveling the way Skywalker works will not only teach us more about the way neurons communicate with each other but will also lead to new diagnostics and therapies for neurological diseases such as Parkinson's," says Verstreken.
Communication between brain cells
Brain disorders take a major toll on society. More than 8% of the population in the West depends on analgesics. Twenty per cent suffers from a mental disturbance and the number of people suffering from the effects of neurological diseases is estimated at 1 billion. Many of these problems are caused ...
When food is scarce, hungry female spiders alter mating preferences
2011-04-02
New research from the University of Cincinnati provides food for thought.
The research examined how short-term and long-term hunger affected mate selection and aggression in female wolf spiders (Schizocosa ocreata) commonly found in the eastern United States and Canada. These female spiders are potentially aggressive and cannibalistic when approached by a courting male.
The research is published in the April 2011 print issue of the journal, "Animal Behavior." It was carried out by George Uetz, UC professor of biology, and former UC doctoral student Brian Moskalik, ...
EOBR Rule Aims to Keep Truckers Honest
2011-04-02
More than half of the commercial vehicle drivers who responded to United Safety Alliance, Inc.'s online survey admitted to deliberately violating federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. Those regulations aim to keep highways safe by limiting driving time so commercial vehicle drivers get enough rest.
Currently, HOS compliance is monitored through paper logs and supporting documentation such as toll receipts. However, paper logs allow for falsification. For that reason, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is looking to shift to an automated means ...
Short rotation energy crops could help meet UK's renewable energy targets
2011-04-02
Planting short rotation energy crops on England's unused agricultural land could produce enough biomass to meet renewable energy targets without disrupting the food industry or the environment, according to research led by Professor Gail Taylor from the University of Southampton.
The study, funded by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), is a rare investigation into energy crop supply which looks at the potential of planting short rotation coppice (poplar and willow) in England, taking into account social, economic and environmental constraints. It found that with efficient ...
Slipping and Falling on an Icy Connecticut Sidewalk
2011-04-02
January 2011 was the snowiest January that Connecticut has seen since records were first kept in 1905. While one would expect snow and ice accumulation to impact commute times, such accumulation also has had impact on sidewalks, making outside entrances to businesses and houses slippery and dangerous. In fact, according to the Brookfield Patch, snow and ice-related accidents are unusually high this year. Tom Rizzo, spokesman for the Westchester District of the United States Postal Service, also told the Yorktown Patch that there have been 57 accidents due to slips and falls ...
Proposed Federal Immigration Law Promotes Enforcement, Reduces Opportunity
2011-04-02
Federal legislation proposed by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch seeks to force local law enforcement agencies to further assist federal immigration policy or lose funding. Senate Bill 332, the Strengthening Our Commitment to Legal Immigration and America's Security Act, also eliminates the diversity visa, an immensely popular program that allows for 50,000 lottery-based visas every year. Several other provisions involving exit procedures, welfare benefits and drug crimes round out the wide-ranging bill. But some commentators are already calling the effort a political ploy ...
When washing becomes a compulsion
2011-04-02
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often diagnosed too late in children and adolescents. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2011; 108: 173-79), Susanne Walitza and her colleagues point out that appropriate early recognition and treatment can positively affect the course of the disease.
Compulsive washing, the most common obsessive-compulsive manifestation among children and adolescents, is present in up to 87% of all patients; other common types are compulsive repetitive behavior and checking, and obsessive thoughts of an aggressive ...
Sleeping through danger: the dormouse approach to survival
2011-04-02
The dormouse in Alice in Wonderland was well advised to stay asleep – especially as doing so did not prevent it from taking a full part in the tea-time conversation. Dormice in Europe spend about eight months of the year asleep and are extremely safe during this extended period, with almost all of them surviving the winter. This result comes from a study of dormouse survival rates in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Germany and Italy.
Karin Lebl was a PhD student in Ruf's group. Together with collaboration partners in these countries, she examined how the survival ...
A new experimental diagnostic test able to quickly distinguish infection from tuberculosis disease
2011-04-02
A potential new experimental diagnostic test able to quickly distinguish individuals with active tuberculosis (TB) from those with latent TB infection has been developed. If the preliminary results of the study will be confirmed in a larger population sample, the new diagnostic system could allow more effective strategies to control the spread of the re-emerging pathology.
The work was performed by a group of scientists from the Catholic University of Rome, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases "L. Spallanzani" of Rome and the University of Sassari, in a study ...
Anti-Hispanic Discrimination Still Felt Around the Country
2011-04-02
A recent survey performed by the Pew Hispanic Center (PHC) found that over 60 percent of Hispanics polled still feel that they are the victims of national origin bias. The PHC -- a nonpartisan, nonprofit research group -- is focused on tracing trends in attitude and lifestyle that affect Latinos and others of Hispanic origin living in America.
The striking percentage of disenfranchised Hispanics is a sharp uptick in the numbers of those who felt discriminated against in recent years, and most blame the rise in bias as being the direct result of America's highly publicized ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Medicaid expansion linked to improved long-term survival in cancer patients
Women with surgical menopause may exit workforce earlier, but hormone therapy could help
Trailblazing Young Scientists honored with $250,000 prizes at Blavatnik National Awards Gala
Revolutionary blood test for ME / Chronic Fatigue unveiled
Calorie labelling linked to 2% average reduction in energy content of menu items
Widely prescribed opioid painkiller tramadol not that effective for easing chronic pain
Exercise snacks may boost cardiorespiratory fitness of physically inactive adults
15,000 women a year with breast cancer could benefit from whole genome sequencing, say researchers
Study highlights risks of Caesarean births to future pregnancies
GLP-1 agonists pose emerging challenge for PET-CT imaging, study finds
Scripps Research scientists unlock new patterns of protein behavior in cell membranes
Panama Canal may face frequent extreme water lows in coming decades
Flash Joule heating lights up lithium extraction from ores
COMBINEDBrain and MUSC announce partnership to establish biorepository for pediatric cerebrospinal fluid and CNS tissue bank
Questionable lead reporting for drinking water virtually vanished after Flint water crisis, study reveals
Assessing overconfidence among national security officials
Bridging two frontiers: Mitochondria & microbiota, Targeting Extracellular Vesicles 2025 to explore game-changing pathways in medicine
New imaging tech promises to help doctors better diagnose and treat skin cancers
Once dominant, US agricultural exports falter amid trade disputes and rising competition
Biochar from invasive weed shields rice from toxic nanoplastics and heavy metals
Rice University announces second cohort of Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows
Soil bacteria and minerals form a natural “battery” that breaks down antibiotics in the dark
Jamestown colonists brought donkeys, not just horses, to North America, old bones reveal
FIU cybersecurity researchers develop midflight defense against drone hijacking
Kennesaw State researcher aims to discover how ideas spread in the digital age
Next-generation perovskite solar cells are closer to commercial use
Sleep patterns linked to variation in health, cognition, lifestyle, and brain organization
University of Oklahoma researcher awarded funding to bridge gap between molecular data and tissue architecture
Nationally-recognized pathologist Paul N. Staats, MD, named Chair of Pathology at University of Maryland School of Medicine
The world’s snow leopards are very similar genetically. That doesn’t bode well for their future
[Press-News.org] Proposed Legislation Would Require Alcohol Monitors for DWI ProbationIf passed, Senate Bill 232 would require those on probation for DWI to wear an alcohol-sensing monitor.