Opinion ID: 2625117
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Social utility

Text: The state argues that driving with a blood alcohol content of two-and-a-half times the legal limit has no social utility. Jeffries concedes that the utility of driving a vehicle home from a bar while intoxicated is limited, but apparently does not agree it is nonexistent. In the past, the court of appeals has held that the utility of driving while intoxicated is marginal, at best [47] and substantially reduced from the utility of driving sober. [48] We disagree with those decisions insofar as they suggest that driving home while intoxicated necessarily has some social utility. As the state points out, public awareness of the dangers of drunk driving has increased in recent years, as have penalties. While there is certainly utility in driving, that utility is, except in rare circumstances, completely negated by the grave danger posed to society by an extremely intoxicated driver. In this case, there was no evidence of extenuating circumstances, such as the need to take a critically ill friend or family member to the hospital or the lack of any alternative means of getting home (e.g., taxis, buses, or friends) that might require a conclusion that Jeffries's driving had some limited social utility. In addition, there was evidence in the record that Jeffries had been drinking on the morning of the accident and that after drinking he drove to a social club where he consumed at least six more beers before attempting to drive home. Also, Jeffries may have continued to drink while he was driving. A witness to the accident testified that the entire vehicle smelled like alcohol, and one of the responding police officers discovered a beer can on the floor on the driver's side of the vehicle. A reasonable jury is not obliged to give an extremely drunk driver any credit for the social utility of merely attempting to drive home. This is especially so after he has chosen to consume alcohol in the morning at home, gets behind the wheel of a car, and drives to a social club to continue his drinking, before rolling the dice by trying to drive home, perhaps drinking in the car while driving despite already being grossly intoxicated. [49]