HASTINGS, Mich. (WOOD) — Alan Prichard has been arrested 12 times for driving while drunk, and now a Barry County judge is drawing the line.
On Wednesday, Barry County District Court Judge Michael Schipper set Prichard’s bond at $200,000 because he simply has no tolerance for the crime, especially because Prichard 50, is no stranger to the system.
Schipper said the problem is that the minimum punishment for drunken driving isn’t harsh enough and doesn’t keep offenders in jail.
The cases against Prichard date back to 1998 and range from driving with a suspended license, drug charges, assault and battery and the 12 drunken driving arrests.
“We’ve now made people that smoke cigarettes almost pariahs, right?” Schipper said. “If you smoke a cigarette now you’re looked at like you’re a horrible person. Well, if I smoke a cigarette next to you, I may smell up your clothes, I’m not going to kill you. Drunk drivers kill people.”
Schipper said one of the reasons he set Prichard’s bond so high is because he’s a real danger to the community and needs to be in jail.
Full story: WOOD TV