CT attorney claims breathalysers "racist"

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.connpost.com/ci_11021578?source=most_viewed

Lawyer: Alcohol testing device is racist

By DANIEL TEPFER

Staff writer

Updated: 11/20/2008 12:17:25 AM EST

A lawyer representing a man arrested in Fairfield for drunken driving says the state's breathalyzers discriminate against black people.

"They are KKK in a box," said lawyer James O. Ruane of Shelton. "We really have some racist machines here."

Ruane represents Tyrone Brown, 40, of Burritt Avenue, Norwalk, who was arrested April 9 by the state police on Interstate 95 in Fairfield and charged with drunken driving.

A breath analysis administered at state police Troop G in Bridgeport found Brown had a blood-alcohol content of 0.188. The legal limit is 0.08.

In a motion filed Tuesday in Superior Court, Ruane asked a judge to suppress his client's breathalyzer test results, contending the device used by the state police, and most other local police departments, the Intoxilyzer 5000, discriminates against blacks. Brown is an African-American.

Assistant State's Attorney Mark Durso declined comment on the motion.

Ruane claims the lung capacity of a black man is 3 percent smaller than a white man and, therefore, black men's test results vary from the sobriety standard set by the device.

He said Dr. Michael Hlastala, a lung physiologist at the University of Washington, examined research of other lung physiologists and, based on his studies, has determined the Intoxilyzer 5000 does not effectively test the blood-alcohol content of black men.

"He looked at all the research and came up with the bigger picture and found the common thread," he said.

Ruane said he intends to have Hlastala testify on Brown's behalf.

"The data is very clear," he said.

Based on the data here, Ruane is a chopf##k--even if the lower capacity is accepted as fact, there is no way it's going to inflate a reading of 0.079 (just below legal limit) by 137%!

[Ban Hammer 14,573]

[almaty 19]

a chopf##k indeed!

[Heracles 417]

If anyone thinks stupidity like this will end because Obama is now president, they need a reality check.

You guys must have pretty lax standards for becoming lawyers.

Edited November 21, 2008 by Aficionado

[Alli and Léo 0]

Wow! A machine that can tell if a man is black...

[Sister Fracas 5]

poppycock!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If anyone thinks stupidity like this will end because Obama is now president, they need a reality check.

You guys must have pretty lax standards for becoming lawyers.

If anyone thinks stupid stuff like this is somehow important they need a reality check

[Heracles 417]

Ruane claims the lung capacity of a black man is 3 percent smaller than a white man and, therefore, black men's test results vary from the sobriety standard set by the device.

Now can you imagine any other ethnicity saying this.

If anyone thinks stupidity like this will end because Obama is now president, they need a reality check.

You guys must have pretty lax standards for becoming lawyers.

If anyone thinks stupid stuff like this is somehow important they need a reality check

This just must be another one of those "isolated incident" you beat on about.

It is not important to me but I do like pointing out the stupidity and double standards of some.

[Ban Hammer 14,573]

Wow! A machine that can tell if a man is black...

hal9000 can!

[Alli and Léo 0]

If a white man's lung capacity was smaller, would this be racist?

[Heracles 417]

Wow! A machine that can tell if a man is black...

hal9000 can!

He is not talking about c--k.

If a white man's lung capacity was smaller, would this be racist?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Ruane claims the lung capacity of a black man is 3 percent smaller than a white man and, therefore, black men's test results vary from the sobriety standard set by the device.

Now can you imagine any other ethnicity saying this.

If anyone thinks stupidity like this will end because Obama is now president, they need a reality check.

You guys must have pretty lax standards for becoming lawyers.

If anyone thinks stupid stuff like this is somehow important they need a reality check

This just must be another one of those "isolated incident" you beat on about.

It is not important to me but I do like pointing out the stupidity and double standards of some.

What double standards are these?

I think its a stupid, desperate legal defense - you won't get any argument from me about that.

Beyond that - what point do you take from this?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Ruane claims the lung capacity of a black man is 3 percent smaller than a white man and, therefore, black men's test results vary from the sobriety standard set by the device.

Now can you imagine any other ethnicity saying this.

BTW - where in the article does it say that the lawyer (James O. Ruane) is black?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The Paul-Aficionado show is back on the road!

[Heracles 417]

What double standards are these?

I think its a stupid, desperate legal defense - you won't get any argument from me about that.

Beyond that - what point do you take from this?

The point is the same point I have made since day one in this forum. Where in the United States it is okay to talk utter rubbish if you are black but the same comments from a non-black male would have Jesse Jackson and co demanding an apology or probably a public execution. Which you clearly believe is not the case.

I don't know what reality you live in but these sort of incidents are hardly as "isolated" as you make them out to be and reflect an underlying attitude with various people. It is one thing when some uneducated rural person is racist, because the don't know any better and another when a lawyer from Connecticut drivels ####### like that.

Unfortunately you cannot use the "lack of education" or even "poor circumstances" cards in this case. So we'll leave it at the "It's isolated and he is just an idiot card". Oh wait he is a lawyer so he cannot be that dumb.