Court dismisses drunk driver case. Argument? “He’s a doctor of rare specialization”
A certain councilman from Biłgoraj, who also served as a doctor, drove a car under the influence of alcohol. However, the court decided to conditionally discontinue his case, arguing for it in an exceptionally bizarre way.
The incident occurred on Sunday, May 19, on national road number 9, in the town of Lipniki. The police were conducting standard sobriety checks on drivers. One of the stopped vehicles, a Volkswagen Touareg, aroused the officers’ suspicions because after opening the door they detected a strong smell of alcohol. A breathalyzer confirmed their suspicions – the driver had 0.9 per mille of alcohol in his system. Although his driving license was confiscated, the vehicle was not towed, which is contrary to police procedures, ignored by the Police Headquarters for years. The passenger of the car was allowed to continue driving.
The media quickly determined that the drunk driver was Piotr M., a 50-year-old doctor and county councilor. During the hearing, which began on July 22 in the District Court in Opatów, the doctor denied being guilty. In an interview with a journalist from “Gazeta Wyborcza”, he stated that he did not understand what all the fuss was about. He claimed that he had not created a threat on the road, no one had been hurt, and that tests had only shown that he was drunk. From his perspective, the whole case was exaggerated and he did not see the need to describe it in detail.
Court lenient towards doctor
As revealed by the WP.pl portal, the court in Opatów decided to conditionally discontinue the case of Piotr M. He was sentenced to a financial penalty of PLN 10,000 to the Justice Fund and banned from driving for a year, which in practice means that he will be able to get behind the wheel again in May next year.
The conditional dismissal of the case means that the doctor will not be formally convicted of the crime of driving under the influence of alcohol. Thanks to this, he will retain his mandate as a county councilor, which he could be stripped of if convicted.
Why did the court make such a decision? According to judge Jan Klocek, spokesman for the District Court in Kielce, it was explained during the hearing that the decision was influenced by Piotr M.’s impeccable reputation at his place of residence and work. Additionally, the judge emphasized that Piotr M. is a specialist in endoscopic gastroenterology, which makes him a key physician providing services in as many as five different locations. A conviction could prevent him from continuing his medical activity, which – according to the court – would harm society.
Despite this, the prosecutor’s office does not agree with the verdict and announces an appeal.
