60 minutes tackles the marijuana legalization controversy

A recent story on 60 minutes discussed marijuana votes and the Colorado experience. Here are a few highlights:

1) The Governor says, WAIT for more data before considering joining the experiment;
2)More babies are being born with marijuana in their system, which is harmful to the developing brain. Their mothers indicate they did not know it was a problem for the baby;
3)Marijuana effects brain development up to about age 30;
4) The black market and organized crime are thriving;
5) Most Colorado counties have voted to ban marijuana production. The biggest producer is Pueblo County. There is a ballott measure in that county this year to ban production there.

Watch the story at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-five-states-to-vote-on-recreational-pot/

Chattanooga Challenges

Read the story at:
http://newschannel9.com/news/local/chattanooga-police-face-major-challenges-enforcing-dui-laws

to see and understand how frustrating it is for law enforcement officers, who want to be able to do more to save lives on our roadways, but can't due to budgets. When I was the DUI Prosecutor in Chattanooga back in 2000, there was an active DUI unit in both the Chattanooga police department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's office. There were about four officers in each agency looking for impaired drivers during prime times on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
They were so effective and our DA's office was so effective, that impaired people started looking for other ways to get home from bars that did not involve driving.  Officers were having a hard time finding impaired drivers, because the word had spread in the bars that the likelihood of getting caught and convicted was very high.
Now, things have regressed. Drinkers will not change behavior if they don't fear getting caught.  People die when impaired drivers far outweigh the number of officers on the road.

Man Convicted of Vehicular Homicide in Knox County

 

On October 27, 2016, Judge Steve Sword sentenced Steven Dare Steelman, Jr. to thirty-two years, after a jury found him guilty in September of this year of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, Reckless Endangerment, Driving under the Influence, Third Offense, Driving on a Revoked License, and Failure to Provide Evidence of Financial Responsibility. Steelman killed his ten year old son and severely injured his nephew in the November 23, 2014 crash in Knox County, Tennessee.

 

Assistant District Attorneys Joe Welker and Greg Eshbaugh showed proof of Steelman’s numerous felony convictions, allowing Judge Steve Sword to enhance Steelman’s sentence.

Great job Joe Welker and Greg Eshbaugh!

Austin Peay Students killed in crash

A Georgia man with a previous DUI has been charged in this tragic situation. Meanwhile, two families are left to greive.


http://fox17.com/news/local/austin-peay-university-freshman-among-two-killed-in-dui-crash-in-clarksville

Victim Training and MADD Night of Remembrance

We are honored to team with MADD to conduct a training concerning communications with victims on December 8-9 and attend the Night of Remembrance on the evening of the 8th.  If you are a prosecutor interested in the information and CLE credits, please contact Sherri.

Driver charged after crash kills 2 people in Clarksville

Driver charged after crash kills 2 people in Clarksville: A man was charged with vehicular homicide after an early morning crash killed two people from Clarksville.

DUI 3 Driver hits pedestrians. Kills one; Injures another

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Hendersonville man is facing his third DUI charge after he hit two pedestrians, killing one on Saturday.

Chris Solomon, 43, is expected to be charged with DUI, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, one count of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault.

According to police, he hit two pedestrians at 1:30 p.m. as they were walking along Donmond Drive near Air Float Drive.

Witnesses on the scene told News 2 the couple, who appeared to be in their 30s, had just bought chairs from a yard sale. They were reportedly going back to pick up the second set of chairs when they were hit.

“Sounded like he hit something substantial and I ran out to see what it was and found the people laying in the road and he was already gone,” a neighbor told News 2.

The man was taken to an emergency room in Hendersonville, and the woman went to the ER at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Police told News 2 the male victim passed away from his injuries late Saturday night.

According to police, Solomon did not stop after hitting the pedestrians. Authorities caught up to him inside his car a few blocks away.

Solomon was taken into custody and booked into the Sumner County Jail on a $300,000 bond.

Read the full article at:

http://wkrn.com/2016/10/15/2-pedestrians-critically-injured-in-hit-and-run-crash-in-hendersonville/