Drunk Drivers Argue They Were Too Drunk to Commit Murder

There are only so many things you can get away with for being drunk. The classic line, “I’m so sorry I was drunk,” has been recited again and again. We’re all guilty of it. We have to take ownership of our mistakes, but it certainly numbs the pain to tag on a nice little reminder that you were utterly and completely inebriated.

That being said, it does not function as a proper excuse. It’s like a half excuse. It only goes so far. You can’t blame alcohol for everything. After all, you’re the idiot who decided to hit double digits on your drink count. You are responsible, so the court says.

According to Gothamist, last month, lawyers for three drunk drivers in Albany argued that their clients were too drunk to murder, in hopes that their second-degree murder convictions would be reduced to manslaughter. Nice try. The court rejected the argument and upheld that you can’t be excused from murder charges because you were “too drunk.” That’s not how it works, sorry.

In all three cases, two of which occurred on Long Island, the other on Staten Island, the drivers were drunk and/or under the influence of drugs when they caused fatal accidents. They were all convicted of murder for showing a “depraved indifference” to human life, which is also a strange argument, but that’s beside the point. Their lawyers in turn argued that they were unable to show depravity because they were too drunk or high.

“She was extremely intoxicated and she was entirely oblivious to the danger that she was creating,” said Erica Horwitz, the attorney for Taliyah Taylor, who struck a defense attorney while driving 90 MPH with her headlights off, naked, drunk and high on ecstasy and marijuana.

“Although intoxicated driving cases that present circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life are likely to be few and far between, we find that the evidence in each of these unusually egregious cases was legally sufficient to support the convictions,” said chief judge of the Court of Appeals Jonathan Lippman.

And there you have it. Being too drunk can’t get you off the hook forever. It’s time to step up and take responsibility for your actions. But mostly, just don’t drink and drive.