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10.30.2009 9:00 am

Dodging DWIs: William Downs

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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The public service ads tout the basic theme: You drink. You drive. You lose. But that’s often not the case in metro St. Louis. Lenient plea deals, secrecy laws and outright mistakes have allowed most DWI offenders — including many chronic offenders — to avoid serious punishment — in a system-wide breakdown that has claimed lives in Missouri and Illinois. Explore this map and timeline of William Down’s arrests and convictions.

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11 comments

This guy needs about 10 years on a felony murder charge.

— Tim Hogan
8:52 pm October 31st, 2009

Is there any reason this man shouldn’t get the death penalty? He killed someone. Recklessly and by choice. The choice was using drugs. And the drugs: did he use our all-time favorite legal drug, alcohol only, or do we add use of illegal drugs to this horrendous massacre?
The non-punishment regarding drugs and driving and killing is a scandal. There is no reaason this man should believe he’ll be punished. Even with his history of drug-abuse, someone (a judge? a jury?) decided to return his driver’s license. In this case truly a license to kill. And he did. Anybody surprised? It’s time to take this man out of society.

— Liz
12:53 pm November 2nd, 2009

Why is the post on a high horse with DWI’s. Shouldn’t they be investigating more important things like government corruption?! Give me a break, this is nothing but a witch hunt. Nice hard hitting journalism Post. No wonder nobody reads you. And don’t ask me if I know what it’s like to have someone I’m close to die from a drunk driver, TWO of best friends died, a year apart, because they were hit by a drunk drivers, and my sisters drunk boyfriend put her in the ICU for a month and a half because he drunkenly ran into a poll. So yeah, I know what it’s like.

— jaycee
3:50 pm November 2nd, 2009

Jaycee - - two of your friends were killed and your sister was seriously hurt all at the hands of drunks. In addition to all those who were killed and hurt that you don’t personally know.
And you think this isn’t an important issue to keep b/4 the public? Most murders are reported. And this is another murder. Why are you so upset?

— liz
4:53 pm November 2nd, 2009

What a horrible story, but I have a question for readers…

Why is it that we believe that not having a drivers license is going to keep anyone off the road? In her interview, Mrs. Fulhage says that state failed by not taking his license away. I would contend that the state failed by not taking his car and selling it to pay for his court costs.

A drivers license is nothing more than a piece of laminated paper. It has no soul or special meaning to a drunk. Take away his car = he can’t drive anywhere.

— chode
10:29 am November 3rd, 2009

So they had to wait until someone died to throw this pathetic, drunk jerk in jail?

— JamieV
10:43 am November 3rd, 2009

So this punk insists that he’s not a drug addict? Maybe in prison, where he’s cut off, but let him out and he’ll be high and back behind the wheel in no time. Lock this guy up and throw away the key. Throw his lawyer in with him for good measure. What a couple of bottom-feeders.

— JTL
11:48 am November 3rd, 2009

It’s usually the people who are doing crap like this who have a problem with the Post reporting it. If I were running things, these morons would have their licenses taken away permanently for a first time offense and if they killed someone, they’d get life in prison. Quit slapping these clowns on the wrist.

— Greg Gzinski's Stache
1:51 pm November 3rd, 2009

If you are as mad as I am, let the plea bargaining prosecutor know.

Jack Banas, Prosecuting Attorney. Courts Administration Building Room 601 300 North Second Street St. Charles, MO 63301. PH: 636-949-7355

— RUKiddingMe
9:04 pm November 3rd, 2009

Crazy. I lost my license for a year because I drove an illegal car my husband said was okay to drive. No drugs. No drink. Just stupid. Guess if I had been drinking, I would still be driving…hmmm.

— Rhonda
12:43 pm November 5th, 2009

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