DownHill for Tina - car towed?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
October 12, 2014

Tina Hill has indicated she will enter a month-long rehab at Rosecrance. Is this a strong decision/ commitment to recovery or a good defense?

What will the hospital blood tests show? Alcohol? Will B.A.C. results be released before trial?

Or prescribed drugs? Within therapeutic range? Will she blame her driving on medications?

Where was she Thursday night until 1:30am? Was she alone in the car?

Woodstock has an unpopular, and strongly enforced, Vehicle Impoundment ordinance. Was her vehicle impounded?

Was she alone in the car? Was an unimpaired, licensed driver allowed to drive it away? Was she permitted to call someone to come and get the car? If so, that's a privilege not accorded to most, if any, others.

How does impoundment work? Police call a local towing company. It comes to the scene and hauls away your car. Police issue an impoundment ticket with a $500 fine. To get your car back, you fork over a $500 bond, or else your car sits in the impoundment lot, racking up daily charges. About 10% of the owners forfeit their vehicles, because they cannot afford the ticket, towing, and storage charges.

You can contest the $500 impound ticket. You can win, if you have a trial on the DUI charge and are found Not Guilty. Getting the ticket bargained down or dismissed does not get your $500 back. You must have a trial and you must be found Not Guilty. In the meantime, your $500 bond sits in Woodstock's coffers.

Don't blame that one on Judge Eterno in the Woodstock Administrative Adjudication Court. His hands are tied. You can blame that one on the Woodstock City Council and its legal advisor.

The Woodstock Police were quick to charge her with DUI. Will it stick?