Colorado State Rep, Laura Bradford, Gets Immunity When Driving Drunk
Colorado state Rep. Laura Bradford (R) was pulled over last week in Denver on the suspicion that she was driving under the influence. During the stop, she admitted to drinking and failed a field sobriety test, but cops claim they were unable to arrest her. Under an obscure state law, elected officials making their way between “legislative events” have immunity from prosecution and Bradford was given a cab home..
Bradford told police when she was pulled over at 10:00 pm that she was leaving a legislative event and had to be back at the state capital in the morning, which was reportedly enough to trigger the law — a law of which Bradford now claims to have been unaware. Denver police, however, say that Bradford refused to waive her immunity under the law when asked, since it would have resulted in her being taken into custody for a breath or blood test.
She’s been suspended from her committee chair position and the House Speaker is looking into other punishments. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are calling for the law to be amended.
In Obama’s State of the Union Address, one item he declared was that out-of-date laws, or laws which do not make sense, need to be amended. I believe this one qualifies.
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She claims now that she asked to be taken in so that she could take the sobriety test and prove her innocence. She has also threatened to leave the GOP because they have not shown her enough support in this matter, and switch to the Dems. Interesting, because currently the Colorado House, the GOP is only one vote up on the Dems.
No state legislators should have immunity from the law, nor should those in Washington. Nor should we grant diplomatic immunity to foreign dignitaries.
Oh, I agree one thousand percent on the immunity. No one should have any sort of immunity. Breaking the law is breaking the law. If she was drunk, she could very well have killed someone. Thanks for the update!
There is a similar law on the books in DC that prevents arrests of pols going to (and possibly from) the legislative chambers. The reasoning was that this would prevent them being stopped for political reasons to change the outcome of a vote.
Then if that was the reason and that actually occurred, then the stopping officer should be heavily penalized. A drunk person should never get away with driving intoxicated.
I wholeheartedly agree. The DC law is a relic of a bygone age, but still on the books and enforceable.
Hopefully it will come back to haunt her to the point where she loses her seat.
makes me want to scream. continue…
Me, too.
Another politician that will not take responsibility for their own actions. I am so impressed with the leadership in this country.