First the liberals talked about releasing "low-level" offenders (drug dealers, among others).  Then they talked about abolishing jails.  Now even probation is too harsh, even for drunk driving.

A black lady (when the justice system is at issue, race must always be talked about!) named Donyelle Hall was caught driving drunk, then was punished with probation.  But she violated her probation and was punished for that, too!

“There are a number of people around the country being put on probation that don’t really need to be on probation,” said Carl Wicklund, the executive director of the American Parole and Probation Association, a professional group. “It’s a bad use of resources, and it’s bad for the individual.” 

A bad use of resources!  Actually, the most cost-effective thing to do is not to punish people convicted of crimes in any way.  In fact, by abolishing all crimes, we can also save the costs of a trial, eliminate the need for law enforcement, and as a bonus bring the crime rate down to zero!

[Donyelle Hall] was stopped for speeding, failed a breathalyzer test, and was charged with drunken driving.  The officers arrested Mrs. Hall and took her to jail, where she agreed to take a breathalyzer test. Finally, on her fourth attempt, she completed the test, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.09. In Maryland, 0.07 is considered “impaired.” For a woman of Mrs. Hall’s weight,... the difference between 0.06, considered “neutral,” and 0.09 would have been about one glass of wine, according to Leonard R. Stamm, a Maryland defense lawyer

It was just one extra glass of wine!  If we amended the law to make the standard 0.07 "plus a glass of wine," she never would have been in trouble.  Of course, if the new standard is 0.07 "plus a glass of wine," what happens when someone is unfairly stopped for 0.07 plus two glasses of wine?

She pleaded guilty in exchange for entering a probation program... But over the next 18 months, Mrs. Hall would find herself in trouble again and again, ... and lost thousands of dollars in fees, legal costs and wages... in April, the Motor Vehicle Administration suspended Mrs. Hall’s driver’s license for 14 days. 

Why should a drunk driver have to pay fines of any kind?  What was the Motor Vehicles Department thinking of when it suspended the license of a drunk driver?

In December, she was unable to provide the attendance slips that could prove she had been to her A.A. meetings. Mrs. Hall said she had lost track of the slips during November, when her scheduled probation meeting had been canceled. “I’m very, very, very terrible at holding onto papers,” she said.  

She has perfect attendance at her A.A. meetings!  She's just not good at holding on to papers!  That shouldn't be a crime, should it?

After giving Mrs. Hall two more chances, the probation officer reported the missing paperwork to Judge Gordon in February. This time, the judge issued a warrant for Mrs. Hall’s arrest

Look how harassed this poor drunk driver was – fined, forced to go to A.A., forced to produce documentation, and then arrested for violating her parole.  It's not as though she actually killed anyone (this time) while driving drunk!

The amazing thing, of course, is not how Ms. Hall was treated, but how the Times is acting as if probation, with conditions, is too tough to fit the crime.  Ms. Hall could easily have killed someone while driving drunk.  She was lucky she didn't end up in jail for a long term.

Exit question: Is there any crime that liberals would be willing to punish?

This article was produced by NewsMachete.com, the conservative news site.