re: STETSON BENNET ARRESTED……

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Since litigator is absent

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Sorry, been AWOL this off season. This happened in Texas so that state’s law applies. Most states have what we call dram shop laws or dram shop acts. Georgia has one too, although it is more restrictive than the Texas law: In Georgia the intoxicated person must cause an injury while operating a motor vehicle. LINK In Texas, it covers an intoxicated person who causes physical injury or property damage and the element of operating a motor vehicle is not a requirement. LINK

Stet would not appear to be covered by the statute as there was no injury or damage, at least based on the article. Also, it isn’t clear from the article that some establishment was serving him alcohol knowing that he was intoxicated, so there does not appear to be an entity that could be sued.

But I’ve got a story to tell as well. While in college a very close friend of mine got intoxicated. He lived in a dorm near where I lived and when it came time to crash he wound up in the wrong dorm room. When he awoke the next morning the surroundings of the room were not familiar to him, including having drapes over the windows (his room had blinds). He ultimately realized what he had done and was embarrassed. Fortunately the residents of the room recognized him and let him sleep it off. Now my friend had not been a drinker until he got into college. Sadly, later in life it became a real problem to the point where he could not hold a job. His family came to his apartment where they found him with empty liquor bottles all over the place. He had to move back home where his family could care for him. He developed many health problems later in his life.

I hope Stet doesn’t go down this road. He’s got a lot to lose.