Thursday, September 9, 1988TThe Battalion/Page 3
State and Local
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Authorities test videotaping of DWI case
By Richard Tijerina
Staff' Writer
1 To determine whether the use of a video
tape showing drivers suspected of being in
toxicated as they take sobriety tests could be
nsed successfully as evidence in court, Bra-
|os County law enforcement authorities im
plemented a short-term videotaping pro-
am during the summer.
The program, coordinated by the
unty Attorney’s office, was funded by a
ite grant of $10,000 which provided over
lie pay for the police officers using the
ifeimeras.
■ The DWI videotaping program called
for two cameras to be used in Brazos
Bounty by field officers.
■ The cameras, which were not provided
for in the grant, were purchased by the
, ^Bounty Attorney’s office.
() j overtime funding pro-
ce I'^Bded for by the grant lasted from June 9 to
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August 31, although the Bryan police de
partment had been using a camera since
last December.
Because of the success of the videotaping
program, Kristi Matthews, coordinator of
the Brazos County Anti-DWI program, said
she sought state funding for the purchase
of more cameras.
She found support through the traffic
safety funds of the State Highway Depart
ment.
“The grant provided for us to implement
a planned mobile DWI videotaping pro
gram involving the making of a visual re
cord with mobile oversight,” she said. “We
could videotape those persons detected and
apprehended who had been driving while
intoxicated.”
The immediate results of the program
were encouraging, Matthews said.
“We have gotten some very good results
from the program,” she said. “The tapes
we’ve gotten have been really productive
because it’s making an actual record of the
subject on film.”
Of the 236 DWI misdemeanor arrests
made in Brazos County during June, July
and August by the Department of Public
Safety and the Bryan, College Station and
University police departments, 50 were re
corded on videotape.
Misdemeanor arrests are classified as the
suspect’s first or second offense. Subse
quent offenses are considered felonies.
The number of felony arrests for DWI in
June, July and August is not yet available
from the District Attorney’s office.
So far, only one videotaped suspect has
taken his case to court. That case, according
to the County Attorney’s office, begins
Monday and is being handled by assistant
County Attorney Sandra Dent.
Dent said that the defendant already had
filed a motion with the court to suppress
the audio portions of the videotape on the
basis that he had not been read his Miranda
rights before he unknowingly spoke while
on videotape.
The court denied the motion, however,
saying that the field officer had acted prop
erly at the scene.
Because of its potential for success, Dent
and Matthews agreed that the program
would be useful in court.
“The program should provide informa
tion to the prosecution,” Matthews said.
“Right now, we’re looking at it as more of a
prosecuting tool than an enforcing tool. It
can be so effective in court because it shows
what the officer has seen, along with his
first contact with the suspect.”
Matthews said that videotaping always
has been used at the county jail, but that ac
tual videotaping at the scene on the field
would be more accurate because the sus
pect’s performance in jail is significantly
different from his performance on the
road.
Brazos County is the first Texas county
to receive a videotaping grant. Although all
of the funds allotted for officers’ overtime
pay has been spent, Matthews said that po
lice will continue to use the cameras.
roup sponsors political events for A&M students
SC Political Forum hopes to educate its audience
By Kelly S. Brown
Staff Writer
Elephants, donkeys and those
^^^Bithout a political preference all
^nnsolidate — forming somewhat of
^■n ideological melting pot — in the
MSC Political Forum.
Political Forum is a non-partisan
^^Bolitical programming committee
^Bith a goal of educating its audience
^By presenting a wide spectrum of
^■iews from lobbyists, media and sin-
^Ble-issue advocates and major politi-
j^Bal figures, Ana deCardenas, Politi-
^Bal Forum chairman, said.
“We don’t care what political
Sui<Biews a student has,” deCardenas
ail«Hi»id. “The program, which is open
Su all students and does not require
interview or dues, stresses lead-
^Brship, organization and especially
f®^Btudent development."
Student committees in Political
W^Borum choose issues they want to
isc^Beal with, research the topics, find
te names of those involved, and
find speakers who will interest the
Texas A&M audience, she said.
Sometimes the group approaches
prospective speakers in person.
“We go to Washington D.C. and
Austin once a year, not only to tour
the government buildings, but to
make contact with embassies, candi
dates and other prosepective speak
ers,” deCardenas said.
Previous topics that Political Fo
rum has covered include “Vietnam
Today,” the Soviet space program,
“The Religion,” U.S.-Soviet rela
tions, mock elections and the E.L.
Miller Lecture Series.
Public Forum also sponsors Elec
tion Awareness Day in the fall and
Political Awareness Day in the
spring.
During the year, Political Forum
invites political candidates from the
presidential, senatorial, congressio
nal and state races to speak at A&M,
but it is not always possible for all of
those invited to accept.
In 1986, Political Forum invited
gubernatorial candidates Bill Clem
ents and Mark White to a debate.
Clements accepted, but White de
clined.
Because Clements would be the
only candidate attending, the group
decided that it would be unfair to
present only his views. Rather than
cancel the program, they changed its
orientation to “The Panorama of Re
publican Perspectives.” Vice Presi
dent George Bush, U.S. Sen. Phil
Gramm and U.S. Rep. Joe Barton
also attended with Clements.
James Reynolds, director of the
Memorial Student Center, said, “Of
course it was not possible to spread
the word that the program had
changed, so some people became
frustrated thinking Political Forum
was favoring the Republican Party.
“The Faculty Senate announced
that they were going to investigate
the situation and we told them tlieyl
didn’t have the authority to do so.
There were some sincere questions
brought up and they were answered.
Political Forum was not favoring any
candidate, they changed the pro
gram and, unfortunately, a misun
derstanding emerged.”
In this election year, multitudes of
endorsers want to speak on behalf of
their candidates.
DeCardenas said Political Forum
does not actively seek endorsements,
but in order to provide a balanced
view of the presidential race, the
group has agreed to present en
dorsements according to Political
Forum’s established goals and
guidelines.
One of the guidelines states, “Be
cause of the high number of pro
grams presented by Politcal Forum,
only two endorsements will be al
lowed per party. Selection of the en
dorsers will be handled through
these offices in the following order:
State Party Office, U.S-. Senator’s Of
fice or U.S. Congressman’s Office.”
Political Forum will not present
any single candidate or endorser al
ter Oct. 31.
Luke Altendorf, an MSC staff ad
viser for Political Forum, said the or
ganization encourages the partici
pation of all students and political
candidates.
“However, I would like to stress
that Aggie GOP and Aggie Demo
crats are in no way connected with
Political Forum,” Altendorf said.
“We are here to educate the public
on the issues, so as voters, they can
make a responsible decision.”
Because Political Forum does not
endorse specific parties or candi
dates, the group does not participate
in political rallies, deCardenas said.
“We will not sponsor any type of
political rally, particularly on Uni
versity property, and we don’t allow
banners, flyers, posters, any propa
ganda or yelling in the auditorium,”
she said.
Political Forum is trying to orga
nize a debate between presidential
candidates George Busn and Mi
chael Dukakis before the November
election.
The group will sponsor a presen
tation by Col. Charles Scott, a for
mer Iranian hostage and military in
telligence expert, in Rudder Theater
on Sept. 21. Scott will speak about
“Terrorism and the Persian Gulf.”
Correction
An article in Thursdays’ Battal
ion incorrectly listed the deadline
for December graduates to file
for degrees.
Seniors and graduate students
who will graduate in December
must fill out a degree request
form before 5 p.m. Sept. 16.
Seniors should go to Heaton
Hall for their forms. Graduate
students are instructed to go to
the office of graduate students at
the Olinf Teague Research Cen
ter.
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