Federal Appeals Court Upholds N.C. License Revocation for Impaired Driving

    Officers Statewide Step Up Enforcement of Impaired Driving Laws During
                             'Booze It & Lose It'

    RALEIGH, N.C., July 6 A federal appeals court has ruled
that North Carolina's law allowing a 30-day immediate revocation of an
impaired driver's license is constitutional.  The decision, issued Thursday by
the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, rejected a defendant's claim that the
administrative license revocation law violated the double jeopardy clause,
which prohibits the state from punishing a person twice for the same offense.
    "This is a major decision in favor of innocent motorists, who are put at
considerable risk any time an impaired driver gets behind the wheel," said Don
Nail, acting director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program.  "It's also a
great boost for the 'Booze It & Lose It' campaign, which is being supported
statewide by law enforcement officers who are conducting impaired driving
checkpoints and stepped-up patrols."
    Last year, about 27 percent of all North Carolina traffic deaths -- 427 of
1,563 -- were related to drug or alcohol use.  Since the 30-day revocation law
went into effect in December 1997, nearly 180,000 people have had their
driver's license revoked due to impaired driving offenses.
    The summer "Booze It & Lose It" campaign was launched June 29 with a
statewide event at the Capitol featuring First Lady Mary Easley and
Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett.  In six checkpoints during the first
weekend of the campaign, each of which used one of the state's three breath-
alcohol testing mobile units (better known as BATMobiles), more than
100 people were charged with impaired driving offenses.
    Additional DWI checkpoints and stepped-up patrols will be conducted by law
enforcement across the state throughout the campaign, which continues through
July 15.

    Media Alert-BATMobiles will be used in checkpoints throughout the
campaign, including many events this weekend:

    Friday, July 6:

    Monroe/Union County
    (Contact: Sgt. Warren Stephens, 704-292-2657)

    Jacksonville
    (Contact: Sgt. Paul Harrington, 910-455-4000)

    Wilson
    (Contact: F/Sgt. J.G. Duckworth, 252-237-5294)

    Saturday July 7:

    Belmont/Gaston County
    (Contact: Capt. Chuck Lifford, 704-866-6890)

    Wrightsville Beach
    (Contact: Sgt. Greg Lockamy, 910-341-4286)

    Fayetteville
    (Contact: F/Sgt. W.D. Stallings, 910-486-1334)

    Sunday, July 8:

    Person County
    (Contact: Sheriff Dennis Oakley, 336-597-0500)

    Red Springs
    (Contact Chief Lum Edwards, 910-843-3454)