June 21, 2010: Dangerous drivers

>> Emily: TONIGHT ON "GREATER

BOSTON."

THE DEATH OF STATE TROOPER

DURING A TRAFFIC STOP IS THE

STATE TOUGH ENOUGH ON DRIVERS

WHO COMMIT REPEATED TRAFFIC

VIOLATIONS.

PLUS, WHO ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO

LEAVE NASTY COMMENTS ON THE WEB,

YOU'LL MEET A FEW.

UP IN YOUR BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR

ON WHY IT'S BECOMING MORE

DIFFICULT FOR FREELANCERS TO

FIND WORK.

>> Emily: GOOD EVENING.

BOTH MEN ACCUSED IN THE ALLEGED

DRUNKEN DRIVING WRECK THAT TOOK

THE LIFE OF STATE POLICE

SERGEANT DOUGLAS WEDDLETON ARE

FREE ON BOND.

THE REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES

HAVE REVOKED THEIR LICENSES, BUT

NOW IT TURNS OUT BOTH MEN HAVE

LENGTHY MOTOR VEHICLE CITATIONS.

BUT NO OUI WHICH IS WHY THEY

WERE STILL DRIVING.

>> KENNETH WAYANS WAS RELEASED

ON BAIL TODAY WHILE OTHER DRIVE,

ANTHONY PERRY WAS RELEASED ON

$10,000 CASH BAIL ON FRIDAY.

>> FEEL EXTREMELY BADLY FOR WHAT

HAPPENED TO THE TROOPER.

THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

>> IT TURNS OUT THAT BOTH MEN

THAT HAVE LENGTHY RECORDS OF

DRIVING VIOLATIONS DATING BACK

TO THE 1980s.

PERRY HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN SIX

ACCIDENTS HAS BEEN ISSUED THREE

SPEEDING TICKETS.

WAYANANS HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN

SIX ACCIDENTS AND OTHER A DOZEN

CITATIONS.

DESPITE THE LENGTHY LISTS, THEY

WERE WITHIN THEIR LEGAL RIGHT TO

BE DRIVING, SOMETHING PEOPLE IN

DOWNTOWN BOSTON WERE WAYING

TODAY.

>> I THINK THE LAWS ARE PRETTY

TIGHT.

I THINK ENFORCE SYSTEM A

PROBLEM.

>> I BELIEVE THIS THEY ARE

STRONG ENOUGH.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY WHEN

SITUATIONS LIKE THESE HAPPEN

MAYBE YOU BEGIN TO SECOND GUESS.

>> THEY'RE STRONG, I'M IMPRESSED

BY THEM.

>> OUTSIDE OF ALCOHOL-RELATED

DRIVING INCIDENTS THE PUNISHMENT

GOES FROM 30 DAYS TO FOUR YEARS.

NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE MEN

ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR

SERGEANT WEDDLETON'S DEATH OFF

THE ROAD.

>> Emily: JOINING ME ARE MARY

ELLEN BURNS OF REAGAN

COMMUNICATIONS AND FORMER BOSTON

POLICE SPOKESMAN.

AND FORMER PROSECUTOR DAVID

FRANK.

WHEN WE CALLED YOU TODAY WE WERE

THINKING OF YOUR ROLE AS FORMER

SPOKESPERSON OF THE BOSTON

POLICE.

THEN YOU HAVE A HORRIBLE STORY

TO TELL THAT JUST HAPPENED A FEW

WEEKS AGO TO ONE OF OUR

COLLEAGUES AT REAGAN

COMMUNICATIONS.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

COLIN WHO WORKED WITH US, 27

YEARS OLD, STILL TOUGH TO TALK

ABOUT WAS KILLED BY A WOMAN WHO

RAN A RED LIGHT, JUST IN MAY.

A FEW WEEKS AGO IN RHODE ISLAND.

ACTUALLY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN

RHODE ISLAND JUST A WEEK AGO

PASSED WHAT IS NOW BEING CALLED

COLIN'S BILL, HIS DAD REALLY

HELPED TO PUSH IT THROUGH

BECAUSE THE WOMAN WHO STRUCK HIM

HADN'T BEEN DRINKING BUT THE

SITUATION WAS, SHE WENT THROUGH

A RED LIGHT, ALLEGEDLY WENT

THROUGH A RED LIGHT.

HIS MOM AND MISS BROTHER WERE

FOLLOWING HIM, HE WAS ON HIS --

>> HE WAS ON A MOTORCYCLE.

>> JUST CAME BACK FROM BLOCK

ISLAND, THEY WERE AT A RED

LIGHT.

THEY WERE STOPPED, HIS MOM AND

MISS BROTHER SAW HIM KILLED.

THE WOMAN WHO HIT HIM HAD HAD

OVER 20 TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS IN

THE PAST NINE YEARS.

AND WHAT COLIN'S BILL WILL DO IS

THAT IF YOU HAVE FOUR MOVING

VIOLATIONS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT

THEY ARE, YOUR LICENSE WILL BE

SUSPENDED, FACE A THOUSAND

DOLLARS FINE YOU'LL HAVE TO GO

THROUGH 60 HOURS OF DRIVER

RETRAINING.

>> Emily: WE HAVE THAT HERE.

WE TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

AND WAYANS HAD SIX REF VOCATIONS

OF HIS LICENSE, PERRY HAD FOUR.

THEY HAD HAD THEIR LICENSED

REVOKED, REINSTATED TEN TIMES.

IT SAYS, DAVID, THIS IS NOT A

DETERRENT TO HAVE YOUR LICENSE

SUSPENDED.

>> IT'S NOT.

WHAT IT ALSO SAYS IS THAT

NOTWITHSTANDING LAWS AND THE

REGISTRY HAVING THIS POWER,

NOBODY HAS THE ABILITY TO LOOK

IN TO A CRYSTAL BALL AND SAY

WITH CERTAINTY THAT SOMEONE IS

GOING TO GO OUT AND GET INVOLVED

IN AN ALLEGED INCIDENT THAT ENDS

UP KILLING SOMEONE.

YOU CAN CREATE LAWS AND LOT OF

THE LAWS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT

DOWN IN RHODE ISLAND, ARE

CURRENTLY ON THE BOOKS HERE IN

MASSACHUSETTS.

THERE ARE A BUNCH OF WAYS THAT A

PERSON'S LICENSE CAN BE

SUSPENDED OR REVOKED FOR VARIOUS

VIOLATIONS.

THOSE LAWS ARE ON THE BOOKS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY

DON'T INVOLVE SOMEONE LOSING

THEIR LICENSE FOREVER.

THEY ARE GOING TO BE

CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE IF YOU'RE

SUSPENDED, YOU ARE GOING TO BE

ELIGIBLE TO GET IT BACK.

UNFORTUNATELY BAD THINGS CAN

HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE GET BEHIND

THE WHEEL.

>> Emily: THE QUESTIONS THERE

A WAY TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY'S

POTENTIAL OF DANGER, DID THE

WOMANEY ALONG THE LINE?

>> THEY WERE ALL --

>> FOR DRIVING TOO FAST.

ACTUALLY THE LAST TIME SHE HAD

BEEN, SHE HAD HER --

>> Emily: HOW OLD OF THE

WOMAN?

>> IN HER LATE 20s AS WELL.

PRETTY CLOSE TO COLIN'S AGE,

IRONICALLY.

THE LAST TIME SHE HAD BEEN IN

COURT APPARENTLY THE JUDGE HAD

SAID TO HER, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE

TO WATCH OUT -- YOU HAVE TO

WATCH YOUR SPEED.

SHE SAID I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER.

SAME WITH THESE GUYS.

IT'S REALLY TOUGH AND EVERYONE

IS BUSY AND RUSHING AROUND, I

THINK IT'S A WAKE-UP CALL TO ALL

EVER US WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE

PHONE OR TECHING OR TALKING ON

THE PHONES OR A FRIEND EVER MINE

WHO IS POLICE OFFICER WAS

TALKING TO ME SAID, GET OFF THE

PHONE, KNEE NIECE AND NEPHEW ARE

YELLING AT ME.

THEY HAD TAKEN OPRAH'S PLEDGE

THAT YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE

TALKING.

A CELL PHONE FREE ZONE IN THE

CAR.

MAYBE SHE WOULD BE LISTENING TO

KIDS WHO ARE PAY ATTENTION.

>> Emily: AND OPRAH.

>> THE WHOLE ISSUE OF TEXTING.

>> WE HAVE COUPLE GRAPHICS

HERE.

THERE ARE SOME LAWS ALREADY ON

THE BOOKS.

AND THEY STRETCH, COVER A WIDE

VARIETY, SPEEDING VIOLATIONS,

WHAT YOU GET FINES, SURCHARGES

FOR VARIOUS THINGS.

HABITUAL OFFENDER SUPPOSED TO

GET FOUR YEARS.

WHAT QUALIFIES?

WHY DIDN'T THESE GUYS QUALIFY?

>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE HABITUAL

OFFENDERS THOSE ARE REALLY

SPECIFIC DRIVING OFFENSES THAT

BASED ON WHAT THE REPORTS YOU

ARE SEEING IT WOULD NOT APPEAR

THAT THE DRIVING RECORDS OF

THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS WOULD PUT

THEM IN THE CATEGORY OF A

HABITUAL OFFENDER.

ALSO A LAW ON THE BOOKS THAT

ALLOWS WHETHER, A POLICE OFFICER

OR ANYONE ELSE TO PETITION

REGISTRY TO PULL SOMEONE'S

LICENSE IF THEY'RE A DINGER, FOR

SOME REASON, WHETHER IT'S

BECAUSE OF AGE OR SOME OTHER

FACTOR THAT THE PERSON BECOMES

AWARE.

THEY'RE NOT FIT TO DRIVE BUT

AGAIN BASED ON WHAT WE HAD HERE,

IT SEEMS THAT WE JUST HAD A

SITUATION WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN

ACCIDENTS AND SOME MOVING

VIOLATIONS.

UNLESS YOU SOMEHOW HAVE THE

ABILITY TO LOOK IN TO THE FUTURE

AND PREDICT THAT SOMETHING LIKE

THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, THE

UNFORTUNATE REALITY IS THIS

TRAGEDY AND OTHERS, THAT YOU

CAN'T AVOID THEM.

THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN.

>> Emily: IS RHODE ISLAND AS

LENIENT AS MASSACHUSETTS IS IN

TERMS OF THE SENTENCING FOR

MOTOR VEHICLES?

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVENTUALLY

WILL HAPPEN TO THIS WOMAN.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS

CERTAINLY A FOCUS HERE.

I THINK THE LARGER FOCUS IS,

WHAT DO YOU DO?

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS,

BECAUSE I DON'T ONE HAS A

CRYSTAL BALL.

YOU LOOK AT THESE GUYS, THEY ARE

FACING OUI CHARGES.

>> FOR THE FIRST TIME.

TAKES THREE TO GO TO JAIL.

>> ONE BLEW .06 WHICH IS NOT

OVER THE LEGAL LIMIT.

>> Emily: HE DID NOT PASS

FIELD SOBRIETY TEST.

YOU WONDER IF THAT WILL HOLD UP

IN COURT THERE.

HAS TO BE SOME STRICTER DAB DASH

LOOK -- ACKNOWLEDGE AT THE

SCREEN, A 06 DAY SUSPENSION AND

$100 FINE.

WHAT IS THAT?

>> IT'S ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT

SOME OF THE CRIMINAL LAWS.

THE STATISTICS WERE FOR

SITUATIONS WHERE SOMEONE DOESN'T

COMMIT A CRIME.

IF YOU COMMIT -- IF SOMEONE

CONVICTED IN MASSACHUSETTS OF

OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF

ALCOHOL THERE ARE STIFFER

SUSPENSIONS BASED ON THE

CONVICTION.

THAT'S DEALING WITH NONCRIMINAL

OFFENSES.

AND THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE

FACT THAT THE BREAST TEST WAS

UNDER .08, IS GOING TO BE A

CHALLENGE FOR THE PROSECUTION,

NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY CASE,

EVEN IF THE FIELD SOBRIETY TEST

WERE TAKEN AND FAILED THIS IS

NOT GOING TO BE EASY CASE FOR

THE PROSECUTION.

>> Emily: GOING TO BE

QUESTIONS GOING ON ABOUT STATE

TROOPER HIMSELF, GOTTEN OUT OF

THE CAR, TALKED TO WAYAN IN

FRONT --

>>ERS BLOCKING OFF THE --

>> Emily: THE OTHER GUY TRIED

TO --

>> IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR OUI NO

REQUIREMENT OF NEGLIGENCE.

IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING ON PUBLIC

WAY THEY'RE UNDER THE INFLUENCE,

THAT CAN BE ENOUGH.

EVEN IF THE DEFENSE FOR SUGGEST

THAT TROOPER WEDDLETON'S

POSITIONING ON THE ROAD WAS A

FACTOR THAT IS NOT REALLY WHAT

THE CASE WOULD BE ABOUT.

WHETHER OR NOT HE'S UNDER THE

INFLUENCE.

>> Emily: IF SOMEBODY ELSE

WAS CREATING -- HE WAS THE ONE

WHO DIDN'T -- HE BLEW UNDER THE

LEGAL LIMIT.

>> ISN'T IT ALSO YOU HAVE TO

PULL OVER, IF YOU SEE A WORK

CREW OUT THEREL THERE'S A POLICE

OFFICER THERE OR NOT, YOU PULL

OVER -- SUPPOSED TO PULL AWAY TO

THE OTHER LANE IF POSSIBLE.

MEANWHILE -- 'EM 'EM THE SECOND

GUY HAD --

>> GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT CASE.

I WAS TALKING EARLIER TODAY

ABOUT THE BREATHYLZER ISSUE.

I'D EXPECT PROSECUTION WILL PUT

AN EXPERT UP, WHAT WE CALL

EXTRAPOLATION EXPERT TO SAY THAT

A .06 AT THE TIME THE TEST WAS

TAKEN, MIGHT TRANSLATE TO

SOMETHING ABOVE .08 AT THE TIME

OF THE DRIVING.

GOING TO BE REALLY INTERESTING,

BUT NOT EASY CASE, OBVIOUSLY

TRAGEDY WITH THE GUY LIKE DOUG

WEDDLETON PASSING AWAY.

>> Emily: THEY COULD GET

THEIR LICENSES BACK, CORRECT?

>> SOME POINT THEY WILL BE

ENTITLED IT TO.

LOT WILL DEPEND HOW THE CASE

PLAYS OUT.

CERTAINLY SOME POINT THEY COULD

GET IT BACK.

>> I GUESS BEST CASE SCENARIO,

ANYBODY HEARING THESE STORIES,

BEFORE YOU TRY TO MAKE THAT

YELLOW LIGHT OR GOING TOO FAST

OR TEXTING OR TALKING ON THE

PHONE OR YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO

DRINK GET IN THE CAR, NOTHING IS

EVER GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE

THAN WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU DO

SOMETHING ALONG THESE LINES.

MARY ELLEN BURNS.

WHEN WE CONTINUE ANONYMOUS NO

LONGER.

THE ONLINE TALKERS.