Chez Chesler

OUI loophole (April 30, 2006)

In Massachusetts, and three other states, juries in criminal trials cannot be told if a defendant refused to take roadside tests or a Breathalyzer. ... But Yarmouth police are hoping to change that - through public education about the laws, visits to local town boards, and intensive efforts to stop and arrest drunken drivers. They have also spoken with state legislators about helping change what they consider a loophole rooted in the state constitution. ''I think it's the most serious crime,'' Yarmouth police Lt. Steven G. Xiarhos said. ''It kills thousands of people each year and many of them are innocent people. Is that the way we want to live?''

Why does Lt. Xiarhos want to stop there? Why shouldn't the Constitutional right against self-incrimination also be abolished for less serious crimes like rape and murder?