Posted on 12/03/2018 7:52:16 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
Only if you are in the driver’s seat.
“Johnny Cab.”????
“I’m pretty sure in California, simply having the keys and being in the vehicle is enough to make you the driver.”
Back in my wilder years I got a snoot full one night and decided I couldn’t finish the trip home.
I pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and parked in the far corner, threw the keys in the glove compartment, stretched out and went to sleep.
I woke up to a banging on the window.
A state trooper made me get out of the car and gave me a sobriety test. I failed. I was arrested and charged with DUI because I HAD CONTROL OF WHERE THE KEYS WERE. If I had control of where the keys were I could easily get them, start the car and drive.
This was in Virginia in 1982.
Luckily my lawyer was the judges brother. Case dismissed.
apple saving lives. ..
Oh, I agree autopilot is generally safer. Am looking forward to it for long freeway trips (no more boring 600 mile stretches). Unfortunately for him, it was still a legit DUI situation: he wasn’t ready to take over driving at a moment’s notice.
That is an excellent point! A good defense counsel would have him plead the 5th at trial, and then ask the prosecuting officers if they have any evidence of how he got in the car and who started it and input the address. If they don't, then in closing argument, the defense could argue that a friend or anyone could have put him in the car and told it to drive him home. If I'm on that jury, I would let him off. Most likely, it would be enough of an argument to get the prosecutors to reduce the charge and allow him to plea out without killing his insurance or bank account. They don't want any precedents to be set.
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