Ohio Town Has Controversial Pay to Get Out of Jail DUI Policy
If you feel a need to get pulled over for DUI, do it Waverly, Ohio. The Cincinnati Post recently reported that Waverly Ohio police allow DUI defendants to make a $1,000 donation to the police department in exchange for a plea bargain allowing them keep their driver’s licenses.
The Post reports that more than one-third of DUI cases in Waverly were dismissed last year. Motorists, who typically face three or more days in jail and lengthy license suspensions were allowed to make the donation and plead to a lesser charge. Some DUI suspects with four or five prior DUI convictions were allowed back on the road with no jail time and no loss of driving privileges. In some cases, the convictions were not even reported to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a violation of state law.
The paper said the bargaining away DUI charges for donations raised more than $91,000 for the “drug law fund” since 2001. The money went to buy fire arms and radio equipment, according to Waverly police officials.