Author: foluo047

Today I got to do some independent research on how DUIs are treated nation wide compared to North Carolina. NC is definitely on the lower half when it comes to being strict with DUIs, and I got to do some research into Arizona, which is widely considered the strictest states in the US when it comes to DUIs.

I also did some research into California and Colorado and the way that they’re dealing with those who drive under the influence of marijuana. Interestingly, it’s been extremely difficult for them to deal with marijuana impaired drivers because it’s so hard to detect exactly how much marijuana is in someone’s system, especially since it affects different people so differently. On top of that, since marijuana stays in the system for so long, there’s a lot of discourse about what amount should even be considered the legal limit.

I’m excited to discuss my research with Mr. Markham tomorrow and to see what he has to say about it.

I spent today talking to Dr. Markham and presenting all of my research to him. We had an amazing conversation about what factors we should consider when deciding how harsh of a sentence we should give to certain DUI perpetrators. We were able to organize the resulting philosophical mindsets into two paths: trying to send a harsh message or truly searching for rehabilitation. Of course, there’s pros and cons to both. Jail time is the main vehicle to try and send a message that we won’t tolerate DUIs, but focusing on community service and rehab seems to be the best for true long term rehabilitation.

The most interesting thing I learned was that judges are actually extremely hesitant to send younger people to jail. I wasn’t surprised by that, but what shocked me was the reason why. Pretty much, there’s a media stigmatization around prison that makes it seem like the scariest place on earth. But ironically, once somebody’s been to prison they actually see that, although it’s no walk in the park, it’s definitely survivable. It’s been proven that someone who’s been to prison is more likely to go on to commit crimes, partly because they feel like there’s no real consequences.

I really enjoyed discussing how philosophy and law are intertwined. Starting Tuesday I’ll be researching how other states sentence DUIs compared to North Carolina.

I decided to put these days together since they pretty much consisted of the exact same things. I’ve had a really amazing time these past few days with a mix of independent research and online chats with Mr. Markham!

I’ve learned what incredibly low sentences drunk people get. Even with perpetual DWIs, drunk driving with a minor in the back, or crashing into another car, the maximum sentence only seems to reach 24 months. And even that is in extreme cases.

Now the philosophy’s going to start to come in! I’ve decided to start compiling my personal opinions about whether and how age, socioeconomic factors, employment status, etc. become a part of sentencing patterns.

Tomorrow Mr. Markham and I will have an in depth discussion about my final findings and how they can impact the lawyer he’s talking to in Asheville. I’m excited to see where all of this leads!

After some online messaging with Mr. Markham I was able to spend the day doing independent research about drunk driving and the way it’s been sentenced in the past. He shared with me some of the data that he’s gathered and shared about the precedent of sentencing drunk drivers.

The most interesting information I found was about what’s considered a grossly aggravating factor (GAF) for deciding an impaired driver’s sentence. It was mostly littered with the obvious, such as driving with a child in the car, manslaughter, or being a habitual impaired driver. However I couldn’t find anywhere that mentioned anything about socioeconomic status, whether they’re employed/unemployed, whether they have dependents, etc. It seems like those very important factors are handled on a case by case basis and extremely susceptible to implicit biases, which depending on your view point could be a good or bad thing.

I’m excited to discuss my findings with Mr. Markham tomorrow!

Today I was able to meet with Mr. Markham, a lawyer and professor at UNC’s School of Government. Together we were able to have an amazing in depth discussion about why and how ethics and criminal sentencing are often intertwined.

We decided to spend this work experience discussing drunk driving and what factors aggravate or mitigate the sentencing process for drunk drivers. I’ll be spending the afternoon researching the different factors (age, socioeconomic status, employment status, whether they have a family, etc.) that come into sentencing decisions and which ones I personally believe should be valued the most.