Mary Lou Retton Arrested for DUI (6/11 pleads no contest)

[MaryClare]

Who did the one leg stand worse? A drunken Mary Lou on the roadside, or 2025 elite MAG?

 

[Laura722]

Her attorney says she's fine and not missing:

Mary Lou Retton 'In Good Spirits' After Arrest, Lawyer Refutes Vanishing Report

Mary Lou Retton's attorney is adamant the Olympic legend has not vanished following her DWI arrest last month ... in fact, the lawyer is adamant she's currently "in good spirits."

www.tmz.com

 

[Seyonne]

Being in “good spirits” a euphemism?

Seriously, I hope she’s in rehab.

 

[KristyJ]

You know, it's possible we shouldn't have believed the Daily Mail
Edit- though other news outlets certainly followed suit

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Mary Lou Retton pleads no contest, fined $100 for DUI, says she's committed to make positive changes

American gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton entered a no contest plea to driving under the influence stemming from a May traffic stop in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia.

apnews.com

She's pleaded no contest and been fined.

 

[Kara]

$100 for a DUI is an absolute joke.

 

[rlayt]

Here’s what happens normally where I live.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

The person I know that got one did no jail time. License was "suspended' but could drive to work and such. I don't think he altered his driving at all. Had to do a 1 day online class about drinking and driving. Probably had fines and definitely an increase on the auto insurance.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

In the UK the maximum fine for driving while intoxicated is - literally - unlimited. Or you can get up to six months in prison. And being banned from driving for at least a year is all but guaranteed. A US$100 fine probably works out as cheaper than getting a taxi home if you go drinking every weekend and don't get caught very often.

 

[Hatsumomo]

VA's DUI/DWI laws. Apparently if your license is suspended/revoked, the court may still permit you to drive to necessary places like work. Nah, we have the W&OD trail here; go on and bike to work.

 

[Doug1233]

Moving to the US made me realise just how unseriously they take DUI here. It's treated as seriously as driving through a stop light. Insane.

There's also a more zero-tolerance societal policy towards drunk driving in the UK too. People in the US are totally more willing to drive if they've had 2 or 3 drinks and feel confident that they're below 0.08 BAC.

 

[Puffin]

Yes - drunk driving is not really taken seriously in the US despite the high thresholds for drinking and driving. She would have been above the 0.08 BAC which would have put her at over 4 times the 0.02 limit where I live.

 

[RedBirdie]

There are places in the US where driving under the influence is a civil penalty, not a criminal one until you've accumulated enough DUIs. It's absolutely insane.

 

[MaryClare]

That’s crazy. Here the penalty is a minimum of 6 months licence suspension and a 30,000 rub fine. It increases for the 2nd offence and for the 3rd time you have to serve mandatory jail time, even if no one was hurt.

 

[irichluck21]

Yup can kill someone if you are DWI/DUI....and some of these (no fatalities) get less time than people caught with marijuana (which is legal in many states).

Insane.

 

[RichardL]

Yup can kill someone if you are DWI/DUI....and some of these (no fatalities) get less time than people caught with marijuana (which is legal in many states).

Insane.

It's the U.S., it's not supposed to make sense!