Florida Woman found unfit to care for horse after DUI while riding – IOTW Report

Florida Woman found unfit to care for horse after DUI while riding

WBAL11:  BARTOW, Fla.A judge says Florida authorities must retain custody of a horse whose owner was charged with driving drunk while riding the animal.

In a report by The Ledger, Polk County Judge Sharon Franklin said 53-year-old Donna Byrne was unfit to care for the horse.

Franklin also said Byrne must complete treatment for alcohol addiction.

Byrne was arrested Nov. 2 after riding her horse down a highway. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said her breath samples registered a blood alcohol level twice Florida’s legal limit.

Byrne’s attorney, Craig Whisenhunt, said he would revisit the custody issue at a Jan. 11 hearing regarding additional pending charges of disorderly intoxication, animal endangerment and culpable negligence.

Whisenhunt said he questioned whether the charges applied to Byrne, saying his client had not been disorderly and she was a pedestrian under the law.

25 Comments on Florida Woman found unfit to care for horse after DUI while riding

  1. I’m watching “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza” reruns right now. Somebody’s drunk on a horse most every episode. At least the ones made before 1965. They start getting preachy and sappy after that.

  2. This is what happens when the government sees DUI”s as a revenue source while selling it to the public as a safety measure. Of course there are people out there that need to be off the road but what’s going on in this country amounts to plain old highway robbery by the government. I know there are special cars (the black ones) in my area funded by the Feds whose sole responsibility is DUI”S and seat belts.

  3. $$$$ CHING CHING CHING! $$$$

    Disorderly intoxication
    Animal endangerment
    Culpable negligence
    Confiscation of animal (how much is that worth?)
    Legal fees
    Court costs
    Probation costs
    Court mandated alcohol counseling

    Gee, everyone wins! Prosecutors get a “W” in the win column, courts get money, probation officers stay busy, alcohol counselors get cash, police officers get an “atta boy” for finding this little gem.

    In the old days, you’d just be allowed to ride your damn horse drunk if you wanted to.

    LEGAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX will bleed you dry and take everything you have.

    Wanna get a job ever again?
    “List everything you have ever been charged with including speeding tickets, expunged records, and all charges even if they were dropped.” –Hello welfare!

  4. Well, it does sound like a lot of malarkey to charge someone for riding a horse while drunk — it’s certainly NOT a motor vehicle crime. But the fact is if the woman is addicted to alcohol, maybe this is finally one rescue opportunity she can’t ignore. Maybe she loves her horse. Maybe just the absurdity of being caught riding around drunk — not just endangering herself, but her poor animal as well as anyone who might have hit them both — is exactly what she needs right now to confront her addiction. She doesn’t look like she’s too old to benefit from stopping. Just saying.

  5. About 30 years ago, went horse riding with several buddies we all had full beer saddle bags with ice.

    Gettin’ on the horse wasn’t too bad, gettin’ off at a full gallup goin’ uphill was real easy, but painful. The guys thought I was superman, until I hit the ground.

  6. @AA

    Once again it comes down to personal responsibility. If this gal doesn’t want to be responsible for herself then why the hell should I worry about her. And I sure as hell don’t want the government taking money from me to take care of her because of social justice or some such BS.

  7. From my experience a horse will reliably take you home, actually to their stable, if you don’t override the direction they naturally want to go. Pretty much the predessor of the self driving car, but more reliable.

  8. @majorityofone January 2, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    That’s why their neighbors tuck them — and their entire family — in at night. And watches over them. And fixes them sammiches in the morning.

    For the patriotic honor of buying them more bullets.

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