Chicago DUI lawyer sees more proof that anonymous DUI tipsters can't be trusted

This Chicago DUI lawyer has posted here and here, about anonymous tipsters. Now comes news that DUI tipsters are willing to lie in order to get someone stopped for a DUI.

January 20, Milwaukee, WI

We're all fed up with drunk drivers. It seems the repeat offenders just keep on offending, and lawmakers in Madison can't seem to stomach making the first offense a crime. In the meantime, more innocent people get killed.

Some people on the popular website Craigslist have decided they've had enough, and they want to put a stop to it. They call themselves the DUI Busters, but some are questioning their controversial tactics.

Like any mother of a drunk driving victim, her pain is unmistakable. Yet people continue to drive drunk, despite being arrested.

The so-called "DUI Busters" are trying to put a stop to it, and they're bragging about their exploits on Craigslist.

The DUI Busters say they hang out in bars looking for people who've had too much to drink, trail the unknowing person to their car, then follow them down the road, and call 9-1-1.

Just as you'd expect the idea is not popular at taverns on a Friday night. The idea is about as popular as flat beer. What may surprise you is the Milwaukee County Sheriff's response. Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD) agree with the Sheriff's Department. They say the DUI Busters heart is in the right place, but their methods are dangerous.

Liz Rhode is firmly against drunk driving, but the Waukesha woman says something about staking out bars bothers her. She posted her point on Craigslist: How are they going to prevent the DUI they are following from from running through a red light possibly leading to a fatal collision. why not stop them before they get into the car. That's is what a good samaritan would do.

Whether it's true or not, at least one DUI Buster admits telling 9-1-1, "I lie to the police about the prospective drunk driver hitting a parked car when they didn't. As long as you're over the .08 you're legally intoxicated if you hit a parked car or not.", even though the driver wasn't actually swerving or hitting anything.

MADD says making up a story like that helps no one.

How hard is it to conceive of an irate driver calling in a false DUI to the police? It's time for law enforcement to corroborate those anonymous tips before invading the privacy of citizens driving on the roads.