Babbit charges dismissed

[trip]

Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told reporters he bears no ill will against the police officer who arrested him for driving while intoxicated in December, after a Fairfax, Va., judge ruled May 10 that the traffic stop was made on a “mere hunch,” and without just cause.

Legal system is JK.

 

[B6Driver]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ng-in-fairfax/2011/12/05/gIQAkNjdWO_blog.html

 

[Flash]

So can he get his job back?

 

[GINCHBLASTER]

Driving on the wrong side of the road is more than a "mere hunch" I would say.

 

[redflyer65]

Being on the wrong side? Heck, that was just an illusion from the cops vantage point. We all make mistakes! Now were is that bar everyone has been talking about?

 

[Flash]

FAIRFAX, Va. — A judge on Thursday tossed out drunken driving charges against the former head of the Federal Aviation Administration after seeing video of the traffic stop and ruling that the officer had no legitimate reason to stop the driver.
Randy Babbitt, 65, resigned his post in December after news of his arrest became public.


At a trial Thursday, General District Judge Ian O’Flaherty dismissed the case after seeing video that showed Babbitt making what appeared to be a normal left turn into a parking lot, even though the officer had said that Babbitt had been driving on the wrong side of the road.


Looks like he was saved by the dash cam?

 

[IBNAV8R]

According to the new FAA medical criteria, it only matters that you got ARRESTED for DUI. Innocence doesn't come into play.

How ironic.

 

[waveflyer]

So...did he fail the DUI test? But got let go on the video evidence that he should have never been pulled over to begin with?
Or did he not submit to the test? (a pilot no-no)
And why did he resign if he was innocent?

 

[SKC]

And why did he resign if he was innocent?

He was so drunk he doesn't remember whether he was drunk or not.

 

[SLOTH]

So, according to the judge it would have been better to let him keep driving until he killed or just hurt someone and then arrest him?

 

[Andy]

So...did he fail the DUI test? But got let go on the video evidence that he should have never been pulled over to begin with?
Or did he not submit to the test? (a pilot no-no)
And why did he resign if he was innocent?

Babbitt’s attorney said an initial breathalyzer test showed his client’s blood alcohol level was below the legal limit. A prosecutor maintained that subsequent tests yielded different results, but the case was dismissed before evidence could be presented.

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articl...sed.html?WT.mc_id=120511epilot&WT.mc_sect=gan

It sounds to me like the cops went for multiple mulligans on the test until they got the result they wanted. How accurate is a breathalyzer? Apparantly not as accurate as we're led to believe.


Why'd he resign? Because he was likely under intense pressure to resign. After all, if you're arrested, you're guilty. There's no such thing in the American mindset of a false arrest. Just look at the comments on this thread.

 

[Jar Jar]

Guess they wanted someone else's version of rest rules.

 

[ultrarunner]

Babbitt’s attorney said an initial breathalyzer test showed his client’s blood alcohol level was below the legal limit. A prosecutor maintained that subsequent tests yielded different results, but the case was dismissed before evidence could be presented.

This is confusing....

You have to CONSENT to a breathalyzer, which he did, and passed. Why would you consent to a second one? I'd have walked out the door and called for a ride home IMMEDIATELY after taking that first test!

End of story!

 

[charlie2]

If I were to ever get arrested for DUI I would want my judges name to be an O' something... General District Judge Ian O’Flaherty would do!!!

 

[charlie2]

Babbit was arrested? I thought Rainman was an excellent driver?

 

[2000Easyguy]

Babbitt’s attorney said an initial breathalyzer test showed his client’s blood alcohol level was below the legal limit. A prosecutor maintained that subsequent tests yielded different results, but the case was dismissed before evidence could be presented.

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articl...sed.html?WT.mc_id=120511epilot&WT.mc_sect=gan

It sounds to me like the cops went for multiple mulligans on the test until they got the result they wanted. How accurate is a breathalyzer? Apparantly not as accurate as we're led to believe.


Why'd he resign? Because he was likely under intense pressure to resign. After all, if you're arrested, you're guilty. There's no such thing in the American mindset of a false arrest. Just look at the comments on this thread.

Fair enough, but I call it BS......

Quote from linked article:

Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told reporters he bears no ill will against the police officer who arrested him for driving while intoxicated in December, after a Fairfax, Va., judge ruled May 10 that the traffic stop was made on a “mere hunch,” and without just cause.

If any one of "us" were in his shoes, wouldn't you be sitting in your attorneys office discussing this issue?

 

[ALGFLYR]

He was so drunk he doesn't remember whether he was drunk or not.

Now that's funny!

 

[PCL_128]

So...did he fail the DUI test? But got let go on the video evidence that he should have never been pulled over to begin with?

He passed the first test. The cops took several more to get the result that they apparently wanted. I would imagine that he consented to several tests because he figured there wasn't any chance that one would blow positive. According to numerous guests at the event he was driving home from, he only had about three drinks over a period of several hours. The first test would seem to indicate exactly what the witnesses said.

And why did he resign if he was innocent?

When you're an appointee of the President, you don't hold on to office and risk making the big guy look bad. You resign to take the heat off of the President. Just part of the gig. He'll make much better money as a consultant, anyway. He was cleaning up when he owned Eclat Consulting.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

When you're an appointee of the President, you don't hold on to office and risk making the big guy look bad. You resign to take the heat off of the President. Just part of the gig.

I'm sure glad Biden doesn't take your advice .

 

[Andy]

For those that think breathalyzers are accurate, don't watch this youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x2lCSneh2k