go go gadget democracy

Well, since I'm banned from Fark, my opinion my not count anymore, but I do think that a double standard is important to maintain here. These Senators have to attend a ton of functions, where often alcohol is served. It would be totally impolite of them to not have at least one drink with their hosts, so they may end up having eight or ten drinks a day. I would suggest hiring full time, life long, personal drivers for all Senators, but the they-get-paid-too-much-for-even-a-cost-of-living-adjustment crowd will jump all over that idea. So, this is what you get. A senator fails victim to our over stringent drunk driving laws. Maybe that will at least open his eyes to the fact that MADD is a socially irresponsible organization. Just my two cents.

Please don't be a democrat...

*reads TFA*

DAMN!

spentmiles: Well, since I'm banned from Fark, my opinion my not count anymore, but I do think that a double standard is important to maintain here. These Senators have to attend a ton of functions, where often alcohol is served. It would be totally impolite of them to not have at least one drink with their hosts, so they may end up having eight or ten drinks a day. I would suggest hiring full time, life long, personal drivers for all Senators, but the they-get-paid-too-much-for-even-a-cost-of-living-adjustment crowd will jump all over that idea. So, this is what you get. A senator fails victim to our over stringent drunk driving laws. Maybe that will at least open his eyes to the fact that MADD is a socially irresponsible organization. Just my two cents.

?

Nice to see MA link the OWI bridge to WI. Jeff Wood would may want to take notes.

Ted v.2.0

Good job! Incredible that he has the public's interests in mind so well. At least, they took his driver's license away. I have seen situations, while in public office, they are allowed to drive after a offense like this. I just hope he can't write off taxis and limos; make him pay for them or just take a bus like the people he works for.

As a Senator who is sitting comfortably at home, on "house confinement" for my third DUI resulting in a hit-and-run, not getting jail time, I'm really getting a kick out of these replies...

As a footnote; in Manitoba, the 2nd impaired conviction results in a stay in the crowbar hotel; with Bubba... 3rd? OMG, How did he get away with home arrest? $$$$????

"Galluccio will be barred, however, from attending legislative meetings at the State House, and he resigned his posts on seven committees, including his chairmanship of Higher Education and his seat on Mental Health and Substance Abuse."

Such meaty irony, right there.

If I ever amass enough nuclear weapons to become world ruler, I would pass a world wide law, and being the unquestioned world ruler, it would simply pass. This law would be that senators and representatives, both state and federal, should have to follow every law in effect, to the very letter of said law. If their state has a law saying that you must stop at a stop sign for at least 3 seconds and you only stop for 2.99 seconds, then you being the member of state level or federal level congress, upon conviction, will receive the maximum sentence that crime carries.

So, in this man's case, he'd receive the maximum sentence for a third DUI, plus the maximum for a hit and run with injuries in his state. If that means it's 10 years maximum, then he would have to serve all then years, down to the minute. No parole (part of that maximum sentencing thing), no house arrest, no easy going prison.

Plus, all serving congress members who break a law, above the minor moving violation, must surrender their seat instantly and a special election held. They also lose any life time benefits that holding the seat earned (like with the military. Get a dishonorable discharge, lose your vet benefits). Former members lose their benefits.

Also apply to presidents, governors, and elected or appointed positions, including members of the Supreme Court.

FTA: Galluccio, 42, will also loose his driver's license for five years
_{- By Rotsky and Associated Press}

Third time DUI- still no jail?
Er ah, what would MaryJo say...

Too drunk to drive = sober enough to legislate.

qwertypoo: FTA: Galluccio, 42, will also loose his driver's license for five years
- By Rotsky and Associated Press

This. Legislators get loose driver's license whereas you and I would lose ours.

/Friggin a-holes.

I'm not proud of it, but back in 1990 I received my second DUI (sort of extenuating circumstances; my father died three days earlier.) I was sentenced to the minimum mandatory two months in jail and lost my licence for five years.

This guy hits someone causing injuries during a third DUI and gets essentially probation?

spentmiles: Well, since I'm banned from Fark, my opinion my not count anymore, but I do think that a double standard is important to maintain here. These Senators have to attend a ton of functions, where often alcohol is served. It would be totally impolite of them to not have at least one drink with their hosts, so they may end up having eight or ten drinks a day. I would suggest hiring full time, life long, personal drivers for all Senators, but the they-get-paid-too-much-for-even-a-cost-of-living-adjustment crowd will jump all over that idea. So, this is what you get. A senator fails victim to our over stringent drunk driving laws. Maybe that will at least open his eyes to the fact that MADD is a socially irresponsible organization. Just my two cents.

Hell,. I want a personal driver too. It is my right guaranteed by the consitution....whhahhhh?

It's good to see our legislators have to follow the same laws as us regular people. Oh wait...

Great Janitor: If I ever amass enough nuclear weapons to become world ruler, I would pass a world wide law, and being the unquestioned world ruler, it would simply pass. This law would be that senators and representatives, both state and federal, should have to follow every law in effect, to the very letter of said law. If their state has a law saying that you must stop at a stop sign for at least 3 seconds and you only stop for 2.99 seconds, then you being the member of state level or federal level congress, upon conviction, will receive the maximum sentence that crime carries.

So, in this man's case, he'd receive the maximum sentence for a third DUI, plus the maximum for a hit and run with injuries in his state. If that means it's 10 years maximum, then he would have to serve all then years, down to the minute. No parole (part of that maximum sentencing thing), no house arrest, no easy going prison.

Plus, all serving congress members who break a law, above the minor moving violation, must surrender their seat instantly and a special election held. They also lose any life time benefits that holding the seat earned (like with the military. Get a dishonorable discharge, lose your vet benefits). Former members lose their benefits.

Also apply to presidents, governors, and elected or appointed positions, including members of the Supreme Court.

You know what I think would be a fabulous idea? Anonymous trials. As in nobody knows who the defendant is, what race he is, if he is broke or not etc. And some kind of punishment for the lawyer if he is suspected of trying to give it away.... although who the lawyer is might give us an idea.

Best idea I have had in the last hour.

Maybe Mike Brown and the Bengals will sign him to play wide receiver replacing Chris Henry. Mike has a big heart.

Wonko Fortytwo: qwertypoo: FTA: Galluccio, 42, will also loose his driver's license for five years
- By Rotsky and Associated Press

This. Legislators get loose driver's license whereas you and I would lose ours.

/Friggin a-holes.


ARGGGH! Second time this week loose has loosed upon me...WTF?

Just keep in mind: We could cut traffic deaths in this country down to about a hundred or two if we really wanted. DUI has little to do with road safety anymore.

/Not that it wouldn't still result in mass injury and property damage.
//If you have to ask HOW, I humbly submit that you should watch a simple NASCAR race.

Jensaarai: Just keep in mind: We could cut traffic deaths in this country down to about a hundred or two if we really wanted. DUI has little to do with road safety anymore.

/Not that it wouldn't still result in mass injury and property damage.
//If you have to ask HOW, I humbly submit that you should watch a simple NASCAR race.

When it comes to DUI, I think that 0.08 is too low. I've known people who get drunk at a half beer and I've seen others drink an entire bottle of wine and no show any sign of being drunk. We need a better way of actually measuring how drunk a person is.

As for your comment about DUI having little to do with road safety, I have to both agree and disagree with you. For MADD, it's not about safety, it's about a political agenda and nothing more. Having had a father and two friends have their cars totaled (before having them paid off) by drunk drivers, one friend who spent a week in the hospital because of said drunk driver, I know it's stupid to say that DUI enforcement is not about road safety.

A car, as my dad put it when I signed up for driver's ed, is a weapon. Like all weapons you either respect it or it will kill you and/or someone else that you don't want to kill. You'd never handle a firearm drunk, you'd never handle a firearm in a stupid or dangerous way and the same goes for a car.

For those of you wondering about the jail time.... I believe on faith that he may have struck a republican...which is only a $5 fine in many states, even a reward program in others...


/comedy
//lighten up before responding...please

It was not charged as an OUI offense, third or otherwise. There's evidence he had been driving drunk 13 hours before, and he was almost certainly driving drunk when this happened, but it wasn't charged. (since he left the scene and didn't give the police an opportunity to gather evidence of alcohol use).

Leaving the scene of personal injury carries a six month minimum (but NOT mandatory) sentence in Massachusetts...i.e. there can be a suspended sentence but it must be for six months or more. So 2 years probation, home confinement, suspended sentence and DAILY alcohol monitoring on an in-home device is actually a pretty strict and fair sentence IMHO.

The sentencing judge is not a lightweight and would not hesitate to impose the jail sentence in a heartbeat on a violation of probation.

lunkhed
Too drunk to drive = sober enough to legislate.

Best explanation I've seen yet for the kind of laws that get passed.

Yoday Galluccio pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a crash...

I didn't know Yoda had his own day.

TFA
will be allowed to leave home for church on Sunday and to cast votes in the state Senate.

Because going to church has done such a good job in keeping him from driving drunk...

Confined to home for six months?

"Hello, pizza guy? There's an extra $10 in it for you if you stop by the liquor store and get me a bottle of vodak. And some OJ. Kthxbai"

Sign me up.

fearmongert: Please don't be a democrat...

*reads TFA*

DAMN!

Look on the bright side. They didn't have to fish him out of the sinking car his girlfriend was trapped in.

Oops, change "the bright side" to...

belowner: You can't see it, but this is a picture of my driveway this morning near Richmond:



Whoa!

Where the fark do you live? VA or NY?

Must be setting himself up to grab Ted Kennedy's seat in the US Senate.

bilbo douchebaggins: belowner: You can't see it, but this is a picture of my driveway this morning near Richmond:



Whoa!

Where the fark do you live? VA or NY?

Gotta be VA. Looks just like my driveway. It's been I don't-know-how-many years since we've seen snow like this.

qwertypoo: FTA: Galluccio, 42, will also loose his driver's license for five years
- By Rotsky and Associated Press

I stopped reading when I reached that part of TFA.

wilder_card: Gotta be VA. Looks just like my driveway. It's been I don't-know-how-many years since we've seen snow like this.

You young whippersnapper. Why in 1966 wharglebargle blizzard farglebargle up to the eaves snarglebargle.

/brother & i built a series of snow tunnels in our front yard
//coolest snow tunnels EVAR

Driving under the influence should be grounds for removal from office, imho.

Great Janitor: If I ever amass enough nuclear weapons to become world ruler, I would pass a world wide law, and being the unquestioned world ruler, it would simply pass. This law would be that senators and representatives, both state and federal, should have to follow every law in effect, to the very letter of said law. If their state has a law saying that you must stop at a stop sign for at least 3 seconds and you only stop for 2.99 seconds, then you being the member of state level or federal level congress, upon conviction, will receive the maximum sentence that crime carries.

So, in this man's case, he'd receive the maximum sentence for a third DUI, plus the maximum for a hit and run with injuries in his state. If that means it's 10 years maximum, then he would have to serve all then years, down to the minute. No parole (part of that maximum sentencing thing), no house arrest, no easy going prison.

Plus, all serving congress members who break a law, above the minor moving violation, must surrender their seat instantly and a special election held. They also lose any life time benefits that holding the seat earned (like with the military. Get a dishonorable discharge, lose your vet benefits). Former members lose their benefits.

Also apply to presidents, governors, and elected or appointed positions, including members of the Supreme Court.

Why do you have federal officials if you are an unquestionable world ruler?

spentmiles: Well, since I'm banned from Fark, my opinion my not count anymore, but I do think that a double standard is important to maintain here. These Senators have to attend a ton of functions, where often alcohol is served. It would be totally impolite of them to not have at least one drink with their hosts, so they may end up having eight or ten drinks a day. I would suggest hiring full time, life long, personal drivers for all Senators, but the they-get-paid-too-much-for-even-a-cost-of-living-adjustment crowd will jump all over that idea. So, this is what you get. A senator fails victim to our over stringent drunk driving laws. Maybe that will at least open his eyes to the fact that MADD is a socially irresponsible organization. Just my two cents.

I might have agreed with you if he had simply been pulled over for a typical DUI. Since this was a hit and run that makes this just a bit more severe, and definitely worthy of punishment at the very least equal to what anyone who is not a wealthy senator would get.

The Democrats can't go 3 minutes without violating the law.

Great Janitor: Plus, all serving congress members who break a law, above the minor moving violation, must surrender their seat instantly and a special election held.

I bet not one sitting elected official in the country would still have a job. But... Are you going to hold yourself to that same standard? Or is this just lip service and more lies from a future politician?

Yeah... I'm on to you!

Oh - and stay classy Democrats. Massachusetts - bastion of liberal success. I don't even like to admit I was born there.

johnphantom: I'm not proud of it, but back in 1990 I received my second DUI (sort of extenuating circumstances; my father died three days earlier.) I was sentenced to the minimum mandatory two months in jail and lost my licence for five years.

This guy hits someone causing injuries during a third DUI and gets essentially probation?

Don't forget he did it as a hit-and-run too.

MBooda: Oops, change "the bright side" to...

Wow - that's on the stand next to me. I haven't read it yet. I plan to but I have to finish re-reading Battle Cry (Leon Uris, book is much better than the movie but I'd like to see them remake the movie) for the billionth time.

Not to defend this ahole, but while this would be his 3rd DWI in his life, it would not be charged as DWI 3 because of the elapsed time between offenses. In Arkansas, and likely in MA as well, a DWI is only escalated to 2 or 3 etc if it occurs within 5 years of the previous DWI. So he gets one in 1984, that's a DWI 1. He gets another in 1997, that's another DWI 1. He gets another in 2009, that's yet another DWI 1. That said, this guy should be in jail for hitting and running.

He's from the People's Republic of Cambridge. Why is he even driving when he could take the T across the river to "vote"?

In Cambridge, destroying the environment is a stoning offence!