167 DWI Arrests in MN from Operation NightCAP March 2008

Operation NightCAP,is a public safety program developed by the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety that consists of twice monthly saturation patrols conducted by multi-jurisdictional law enforcement agencies in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Minnesota State Patrol (MSP) districts in greater Minnesota schedule their patrols to coincide with community events that have previously experienced impaired driving problems.

The MSP makes the execution of the program very visible to the public, and includes a mobile blood testing vehicle (a/k/a BATmobile), and public safety announcements.

The effect of the program is indeed measurable. For example, officers working Operation NightCAP made 167 arrests through the program in March, 2008, 125 of which were in the Twin Cities’ counties.

If you have a question concerning your DWI arrest, call our office to speak with an attorney today to discuss your case.

-John Scott, 612-840-8961

DWI charges and Whiskey Plates

Minnesota drivers with multiple DWI offenses may have to drive vehicles with special plates. These special plates are commonly known as whiskey plates. In Minnesota, the vehicle plates start with a ”W” or another letter at the end of the alphabet. The readily identified letters indicate to police officers that the owner of the vehicle has multiple DWI charges on his or her driving record.

For a good article describing Whiskey Plates from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, click here.

If you drive a vehicle with whiskey plates, chances are very good that you will be stopped at some point by a police officer. There are special exceptions to the usual search and seizure rules for vehicles that display Whiskey Plates.

If you have a question concerning a DWI charge or plate impoundment, please call Attorney John Scott at 612-840-8961.