Getting convicted of a DUI offense can be embarrassing as well as unpleasant, says DUI attorney Claiborne Ferguson of the Claiborne Ferguson Law Firm in Memphis, Tennessee. His practice is devoted to DUI defense and capital murder cases. Here, he talks about a ’shame’ program you could face if you get a DUI conviction.
Being convicted of drinking and driving is never a happy experience. Now the state of Tennessee is thinking up two novel ways to make people change their behavior. They hope that public humiliation will make people change their ways, and that the embarrassment of letting the entire world know they have been convicted of a DUI offense could stop many people from making it happen again.
- “I Am a DUI Offender”: Some states, and Tennessee is not alone, will require you to spend at least three days, in addition to mandatory jail time, picking up litter while wearing a bright orange hunting vest emblazoned with “I am a DUI offender” on it. That means you will have to spend three full days along a busy highway or major roadway wearing the vest in full view of other drivers. This is part of Tennessee Shame Program, which seeks to embarrass the offender so they won’t offend again. However, some officials are not thrilled about the idea. Local agencies have estimated that implementing the program could cost the state $2 million per year. That cost is partly to manage the crew, which will be required to do three eight-hour shifts of litter picking within 30 says of conviction.
- Shameful License Plates: It’s been reported that Tennessee is also considering making DUI offenders have a specific license plate if they have been convicted of the crime. They would have to obtain a yellow license plate that had the words ‘DUI Shame’ on it, which would be attached to their vehicle for at least one year. It is thought that these and other measures will reduce the number of people drinking and driving on the roads, hoping to shame them into driving more responsibly. While such programs have their proponents and their critics, it is really to early to determine the outcome of them as of yet. Only time will tell.
