Drunk driver arrested after cop orders him to drive drunk
posted at 10:48 am on July 17, 2009 by MadisonConservative
Yeah, you read that right, and it makes me want a drink just reading the damn thing.
An Illinois teen knew he was too drunk to drive home after a Dave Matthews Band concert south of Milwaukee. So he fell asleep in his car, only to be awoken by a state trooper.
Travis Peterson, 19, of Dixon, Ill., said even though he told the officer he was drunk and sleeping it off, the trooper ordered him to leave because the lot was being cleared.
Once out of the parking lot, Peterson was arrested for drunken driving. He was subsequently found guilty and ordered to spend 60 days in jail.
A Wisconsin appeals court on Wednesday commended Peterson for doing the right thing by trying to sleep it off, and said the trial court was wrong not to let him argue that police had entrapped him.
I’m glad the appeals court saw sense, and I sincerely hope this cop and the first judge get a whack upside their heads.
Edit: Changed the title since it doesn’t explicitly say that the trooper who told him to leave the parking lot was the same cop who pulled him over. Still, it was a stupid thing for the trooper to tell him to do.
Blowback
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Good lord. Common sense seems to completely dead across large swaths of the American public.
BadgerHawk on July 17, 2009 at 10:57 AM
As a Illinois resident I can tell you our financial condition is dire DD arrests are seen as a revenue stream.
So this seems right in line with state practice.
Archimedes on July 17, 2009 at 11:16 AM
This was handled by Wisconsin troopers and the Wisconsin courts.
MadisonConservative on July 17, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Definitely a no-win situation for Travis Peterson. Travis could have been ticketed/arrested for trespassing in lieu of the problems that attach themselves with a drunk driving arrest. It’s clear that through this trooper’s own goadings to have Peterson vacate the parking lot that shows the trooper’s ulterior motive was for the subsequent drunk driving arrest. This certainly falls into the category of a catch-22 predicament for Travis Peterson. How often does this kind of situation arise? Probably with more frequency than any law enforcement officials would admit.
Americannodash on July 17, 2009 at 11:47 AM
If only he had the priviledge to be judged by a wise latina this never would have happened.
Theworldisnotenough on July 17, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Shouldn’t the title say “Cop arrests drunk driver after ordering him to drive drunk”? The way it is now makes it look like the cop was the one driving drunk.
BadgerHawk on July 17, 2009 at 1:02 PM
There, you commie bastard. Happy?
MadisonConservative on July 17, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Yes. And I’m pretty sure you’re the commie.
BadgerHawk on July 17, 2009 at 1:18 PM
What’s a Dave Matthews Band? Never heard of them.A concert south of Milwaukee? Cudahy? Franklin?, Oak Creek? Racine?
Must be a crappy band if they’re having a concert in any of those places.
Jeff from WI on July 17, 2009 at 6:35 PM
You don’t know Alpine Valley?
MadisonConservative on July 18, 2009 at 12:51 AM
Oh there,southwest…yup.
Jeff from WI on July 18, 2009 at 7:07 AM
Making him drive was stupid and dangerous, but I don’t know why he let a teen who admitted to drinking leave anyway. It’s not as though he needed the kid to break another law.
Esthier on July 20, 2009 at 10:56 AM