And I thought that hanging, dimpled, and pregnant “chad’s” were bad enough. So if Florida wasn’t the laughing stock of the nation already, let’s throw some salt in that wound. Not only does the state have trouble counting, but it also has crack heads on the police beat and a drunk kid suing them for his own bad decisions.
Sixteen year-old Richard L. Garcia filed suit against the Bradenton police department of Bradenton Florida for not arresting him for drunk driving.
The cops apprehended the teenager as he attempted to sneak into a girlfriend’s house at 1:20 a.m., on February 9, 1999. Officer Robert Semler told the teen to go home. Semler made no note in his report of Garcia being drunk, but Garcia’s lawyer, Wade Thompson, claims that there were obvious signs.
According to Thompson, Garcia was stumbling and his car had numerous empty beer cans in it, the officers allegedly walked Garcia to the car and let him go. Garcia’s BAC (blood alcohol content) was twice the limit for adults and almost 10 times the limit for juveniles.
Garcia got into his car, started driving, missed a curve, and slammed into a tree bursting his aorta, he now has a plastic aorta and medical bills close to $100,000.
To make this interesting, officer Semler ‘later’ resigned from the force after admitting to a crack-cocaine problem.
I understand how serious a trial this is because one person has lost their job, and another will have to live with a disability for the rest of his life- but this is absurd. Weren’t there any drug tests for the police of Bradenton? Can we hold the state responsible for this accident if it was the kid’s choice to get wasted and put his life in danger?
Through all of this I can’t help but wonder why somebody hasn’t asked Garcia who bought him the beer. Legally that person could be the responsible party because she or he supplied the alcohol to the minor in the first place, therefore contributing to the delinquency of minors.
All I can say is God save the soul of Florida.