Franklin County stands out Franklin County ranks first in the state in breath-test refusals.
Nearly 3,600 motorists in the county refused to take the tests in 1998 and '99. Forty percent of them escaped DUI convictions. Michael Hawthorne Dispatch Staff Reporter Judges know not to blow. So do politicians, police officers and lawyers. In many cases, a Dispatch computer analysis shows, motorists who refuse the tests benefit from reduced charges.