Court ruling makes sense

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that police roadblocks intended to catch drunk drivers are allowed under the Indiana Constitution. The Court overturned an appellate court ruling that had deemed the checkpoints unconstitutional.\nWe join Attorney General Steve Carter in support of these checkpoints. They will be effective as a way to catch drunk drivers and provide a deterrent to those who would consider getting behind the wheel under the influence. We acknowledge the civil liberties that some feel are being abridged, but drivers occupy publicly owned streets and give up at least some of their rights to privacy in getting behind the wheel and driving on public roads. Police agencies are also likely to publish planned roadblock operations under guidelines handed down by the court. \n"A minimally intrusive roadblock designed and implemented on neutral criteria that safely and effectively targets a serious danger specific to vehicular operation is constitutionally reasonable, unlike the random and purely discretionary stops we have disapproved," Tuesday's ruling said.\nPolice agencies across Indiana may now resume the checkpoints, which had been halted since November 2000. But new standards will have to be met when police departments use the checkpoints.\n"To be constitutionally reasonable, the location and timing of sobriety checkpoints should take into account police officer safety, public safety and public convenience," the ruling said. "The roadblock should also effectively target the public danger of impaired driving."\nWe hope the Court's guidelines will help ensure that roadblocks are used effectively and fairly, as Carter intends.\n"That guidance not only will help police avoid legal issues in the future but will give the public some security that they're not being done in a very discretionary way based upon the whims of the individual police officers," Carter said.\nAllowing drunk driving checkpoints will undoubtedly make Indiana's roads safer. Getting drunk and impaired drivers off Indiana's roadways is certainly a worthwhile effort. The court is rightly allowing law enforcement agencies to do their job to enforce the law for the safety of innocent citizens.\nStaff vote: 6 - 4 - 0