{"id":3068,"date":"2013-12-20T09:59:53","date_gmt":"2013-12-20T16:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scramsystems.com\/blog\/?p=3068"},"modified":"2021-08-26T12:03:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T18:03:14","slug":"minnesota-supreme-court-look-necessary-drunk-driving-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/minnesota-supreme-court-look-necessary-drunk-driving-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Supreme Court to Look at \u201cNecessary Drunk Driving\u201d Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Minnesota woman<\/a> is appealing her 2011 careless driving charge to that state\u2019s Supreme Court on the basis that driving drunk was her only option to flee from domestic violence. Jennifer and Jason Axelberg were drinking with friends at a rural resort when they began to argue. The argument escalated when they returned to their cabin, and Jason Axelberg shoved and hit his wife. When she ran to their car and locked herself in, he punched and broke the windshield. Feeling that she had no other way to escape, Jennifer Axelberg started the vehicle and drove back to the resort to get help.<\/p>\n

Though her husband was charged with, and eventually convicted of, domestic assault, Jennifer Axelberg was also charged with DWI. The charge was reduced to careless driving, resulting in a revocation of her license for 6 months.\u00a0Her driving privileges have since been restored, but Axelberg is pursuing her appeal. She hopes that the Minnesota Supreme Court will grant her a \u201cnecessary\u201d defense to clear her record and to bring light to the plight of domestic violence victims.<\/p>\n

Precedence In Canada<\/h3>\n

Axelberg\u2019s defense could work. In October, a Saskatchewan woman<\/a> was acquitted of drunk driving charges when the judge determined that getting in her car was her only option to escape a violent situation. Serena Maxay was drinking with her cousin and a friend at a house where she planned to stay the night when her cousin\u2019s boyfriend showed up drunk. He began tossing furniture and threw Maxay against a wall.<\/p>\n

The women tried to get away in Maxay\u2019s car, but the man followed in his truck and hit them, leaving the car inoperable. When police arrived on the scene, they gave Maxay a breath test for alcohol. She was over the legal limit and was charged with drunk driving. But Maxay was acquitted because her actions were deemed necessary based on the gravity of the situation, the threat of immediate peril, and the lack of a legal alternative to escape the threat of harm.<\/p>\n

These cases raise some interesting questions. Is drunk driving acceptable if it is the lesser of two evils? What if driving drunk is the only way to help a sick child<\/a> or an injured person<\/a>? And even if driving while intoxicated was necessary, should the drivers still face consequences for breaking the law?<\/p>\n

Alcohol and Domestic Violence<\/h3>\n

But perhaps more importantly, these stories illustrate the links between alcohol and domestic violence. Research shows<\/a> that while substance misuse doesn\u2019t cause someone to become an abuser, there is a strong correlation between substance misuse and incidents of domestic violence. The U.S. Department of Justice notes<\/a> that in 75% of all cases, the victim perceives the abuser to be under the influence of alcohol. In addition, 61% of domestic violence offenders have alcohol or drug problems, and many use these issues as an excuse for their behavior (\u201cthe alcohol made me do it\u201d). Victims of abuse are also more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs.<\/p>\n

What do you think of these cases?<\/p>\n