Confirmed with Link: UPDATED 7/6 - Bourque admits to 'sufficient facts' in drunken driving case

[Bruwinz37]

Lots of people are on tight budgets that they stretch to enjoy nights out and already are being financially irresponsible by paying 6+ dollars a drink that would cost 1 dollar at home (but where is the fun in drinking alone in your house.) Just easier said than done when someone has already spent too much automatically by paying 6 bucks a beer.



I feel horrible and like a troll in this thread as I type this I feel disgusted because I feel like I am defending or excusing a truly terrible action and behavior. Im just trying to advocate for (obvious) preventative measures. We have great public transportation that is useless as **** on a bull when it comes to getting home after a night out.


I mean take a step back and look at the fact that the guy who runs our fans for 11 bucks a beer just stole the parking garage from the MBTA and doubled the price. If anyone should push for later trains its that creep but he obviously won't and wouldn't dream of doing so.


Again I feel like a creep I don't want to defend or excuse anything I just am trying to advocate for our excellent resources and infrastructure being used to solve/improve a very serious social problem.

You should feel that way. You come across as completely immature. It's not the states responsibility to get you home safely. If you can afford to drink till 2 in Boston you can afford an uber. And if you can't then either leave early or get a better job.

 

[Fenway]

What is wrong with you and BNHL?

When I tell you that I have NEVER driven home after drinking, I mean it. Your posts are starting to get insulting- are you, too, calling all of us liars?

First of all I said MANY not all. I am not calling anyone a liar but I also know from years of observation that many people are not aware that they have had one too many. That is the way the brain works with alcohol and that is a proven medical fact.

It is much better today than it was 20-30 years ago as people are better educated about the dangers.

 

[Gee Wally]

You know what? This is done for now.

When something newsworthy happens we may revisit it.

But I leave it with big time cautionary warning that posters better damn well not make accusations against others. If you, whoever you are, are so closed minded that you cant fathom how some feel about it or recognize a person at their word then stay out of the discussion. Because accusing someone of lying ends the conversation.

*click*

 

[Fenway]

Ray Bourque has issued a statement

“For the first time in my life, I find myself in unfamiliar territory. I am not happy about the situation I put myself into on Friday Night. I am a very proud person that accepts the responsibility of my actions and have always accepted being in the media eye. I have used this popularity to try and positively impact as many lives as possible. I am happy that no one was hurt in the accident and thank everyone who has reached out in support of my family and me. Please be patient as I go through this process and respect my family and my privacy. Thank you all for your understanding. Sincerely, Ray.”

http://www.wcvb.com/news/ray-bourqu...-find-myself-in-unfamiliar-territory/40234776

I am reopening the thread BUT please heed Gee Wally's warning.

When something newsworthy happens we may revisit it.

But I leave it with big time cautionary warning that posters better damn well not make accusations against others. If you, whoever you are, are so closed minded that you cant fathom how some feel about it or recognize a person at their word then stay out of the discussion. Because accusing someone of lying ends the conversation.

 

[Eddie Munson]

This is sad. I'm happy no one was hurt and I'm happy Ray seems to be going about this in the right way by acknowledging his mistake and apologizing for it.

We've all made mistakes, we've all made poor judgement calls. Many of us are just lucky enough that everything worked out ok.

It's sad but I think too many people are upset by nothing else than the fact that they learned one of their sports heroes is human.

 

[rudos1]

Bummer for Ray, hope he can put this behind him and move on and learn from this mistake..

 

[KnightofBoston]

I almost got nailed for DUI when I was 21 and in college, thankfully white privilege , no record, my politeness, and perhaps a stroke of luck, saved the day and I didn't have to suffer the same consequences most do. Definitely a wake up call and I used my second chance wisely, it also made me realize how often people do this.

Dumb decision but I won't demonized him for it, hopefully he learns and uses his wealth and privilege to educate and warn others.


Also thank god no one was seriously hurt or killed.

 

[BMC]

Props to him for owning up to it instead of weasling out of it.

I just hope this isn't a sign of a serious problem for him.

 

[Ladyfan]

Me too.I lost my 1st cousin in a crosswalk to drunk driver.She was 12

That is so sad.
I hope Ray smartens up .

 

[Ladyfan]

For me (and I know everyone hates me here because I am a contrarian and cranky) the following people died in one crash because of a drunk driver:

my father
my sister (15)
my uncle
my cousin (she was also 15)

I am so sorry to read this . How horrible.

Ray hit another car. He is lucky no one was killed or injured. He had better smarten the F up..

 

[mislysBB]

This entire thread, everything about it, makes me upset.

Yeah, I agree.

Some of the stances being taken here highly disturb me.

I don't talk about it much, but my father was drunk behind the wheel when he hit guardrail and lost his life. Ever since that day, I pretty much keep my opinions of drunk driving to myself. Everything about it is a shame.

 

[JOKER 192]

Let he/she among us who has NEVER gotten behind the wheel with a questionable dose of alcohol in them cast the 1st stone. Be honest now, it's not that it's impossible, some people don't drink much if at all, but I would think for most of us we've been there.

 

[Fenway]

This is simply a topic that is too explosive to continue discussion.

The thread will be updated with actual news reports but further discussion is only going to anger and frustrate many of you.

CLOSED

 

[Fenway]

LAWRENCE — Former Boston Bruins star Ray Bourque was arraigned in Lawrence District Court Monday afternoon on charges of drunken driving.

Bourque, 55, was arrested late Friday night in Andover. He was originally scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf by attorney Gerard Laflamme of Haverhill.

Bourque, 55, of Boxford rear-ended another driver in a construction zone, police say.

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/bo...cle_f70f7120-3c93-11e6-9e5a-832e3fed2b75.html

 

[Fenway]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...arraignment/Zs4XmfqxBI0idI8MtGw77O/story.html

Bourque’s blood alcohol level after the crash was .249, according to a police report filed in court. That level is more than three times the legal limit of .08.

The report said that Bourque’s speech was slurred, he smelled of alcohol, he was unsteady on his feet, and he was swaying side to side.

“I had a few drinks at the Andover Country Club,†Bourque told police, according to the report.

 

[Gee Wally]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...arraignment/Zs4XmfqxBI0idI8MtGw77O/story.html


An 18-year-old Andover woman was driving the minivan with two 17-year-old passengers inside. None of them were hurt, but the van suffered “heavy rear-end damage,†the report said.

Bourque agreed to perform field sobriety tests and swayed from side to side after he exited his vehicle, the report said. He performed poorly on the tests and blew into a portable breathalyzer, which showed a blood alcohol level of .249, according to Arleque. The legal limit in Massachusetts is .08.

Bourque was arrested and taken to the police station for booking, where Lieutenant John Pathiakis asked if he would consent to another breathalyzer test. He refused after making a phone call, Pathiakis wrote in his report.

Bourque’s license was automatically suspended for 180 days after he refused the breath test, Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles records show. A working telephone number for the former Boston Bruins All-Star and NHL Hall of Famer could not be located.

Bourque was involved in prior accidents in 1991 in Boston, 1996 in Peabody, and 2013 in Danvers, according to a copy of his driving record provided by the Registry. Details of those accidents were not available on Monday night.

 

[Fenway]

http://www.wcvb.com/news/ray-borque...ne-day-early-in-drunken-driving-case/40244630

Police said they found a Toyota minivan that had been rear-ended by Bourque's Mercedes-Benz in a construction zone. Masa Hagiya's daughter was in the minivan and said Bourque shouldn't have been drinking. "She said she's fine, nothing is major, so we are glad to hear that," Hagiya said.

According to the Essex District Attorney's Office, Bourque was scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday but unexpectedly arrived at Lawrence District Court with his attorney on Monday afternoon. He asked to hold the arraignment right away, a spokesperson said.

The 55-year-old Bourque entered his not guilty plea Monday in Lawrence District Court.

 

[Fenway]

Thursday's Globe

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...prosecution/PHARFpUSwxskOADnikYCyK/story.html

Will Bruins great Ray Bourque get special treatment in the wake of his arrest on drunken-driving charges?

Let’s hope not. But he probably won’t need the help, anyway.

Late Friday night, Andover police arrested Bourque after a stereotype-defying crash in which the 55-year-old’s Mercedes slammed into a minivan carrying three teens driving slowly and cautiously in a work zone.

A portable breathalyzer test at the scene showed Bourque had a blood alcohol level of .249 — more than three times the legal limit. To get to that point, Bourque would have had to drink a “huge†amount of alcohol, according to David M. Benjamin, a Chestnut Hill forensic toxicologist who often testifies in OUI trials: An online calculator estimates that, for a man of Bourque’s size, that means the equivalent of 20 drinks over three hours, or of about 25 over six hours. Benjamin backs up those numbers generally, with the caveats that portable tests are less accurate and that Bourque may have drunk more or less.

The numbers will never see the inside of a courtroom anyway. Portable breathalyzer tests are inadmissible in Massachusetts. And Bourque refused to submit to a formal test. The state constitution has sweeping protections against self-incrimination, so his refusal to take a breath test cannot be used against him — or even mentioned — in court.

 

[Fenway]

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/bo...cle_23064178-43a6-11e6-8bf5-17ab4ff35a2f.html

Former Boston Bruins defenseman in Lawrence District Court today admitted to "sufficient facts" in the drunken driving case against him.

That means Bourque acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him of operating under the influence if the case were to go to trial.

Judge Holly Broadbent continued the case without a finding for one year. Bourque must surrender his driver's license for 45 days.

Bourque's attorney Gerard Laflamme said the Bruins' star told him he had suffered a lapse of judgment and made a mistake.

Bourque was charged with OUI following an accident in Andover in late June.

Eagle-Tribune reporter Jill Harmacinski is following the developments at Lawrence District Court. Bourque is expected to make a statement shortly.

 

[Gee Wally]

Ray Bourque admits to OUI in Andover crash

Bourque admitted in Lawrence District Court that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict him, a move that will resolve the case if he successfully completes a year of probation.

He will lose his license for 45 days, on top of a 180-day suspension he got for refusing a chemical test at the police station after the incident

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...dover-crash/d7dFMUEjRMLXUoPrxCzc5N/story.html

 

[Fenway]

The law in Massachusetts is quirky.

A year from now if Ray stays out of trouble there is no conviction.

HOWEVER if at any time in the future he should be stopped for an OUI again then he automatically becomes guilty of the first offense.

Ray Bourque admits to OUI in Andover crash

Bourque admitted in Lawrence District Court that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to convict him, a move that will resolve the case if he successfully completes a year of probation.

He will lose his license for 45 days, on top of a 180-day suspension he got for refusing a chemical test at the police station after the incident

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...dover-crash/d7dFMUEjRMLXUoPrxCzc5N/story.html

 

[Fenway]

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/bo...cle_a6b63f1a-43b4-11e6-b32d-1ff3d373622d.html

Laflamme said Bourque said to him, "I made a mistake. I made a bad choice in judgment. I should not have been driving. I need to be accountable for my actions and I want to be."

The defense attorney said Bourque felt very strongly that when "you make a mistake you have to be held accountable for your actions."

Laflamme also said Bourque was deeply upset he had crashed into a minivan full of teenagers. "He said, 'What kind of message am I sending to them?'" he recalled.

A veteran Merrimack Valley defense attorney, Laflamme said he can't remember the last time a client came to him and said "I'm not hiring you to fight this. I'm hiring you to resolve this."

"He was not going to run away from this," Laflamme said.

 

[Gee Wally]

The following is a statement released by Ray Bourque following his arrest for operating while uner the influence of alcohol after he rear-ended a vehicle last month:

I am willingly complying with every directive issued by the court. I take full responsibility for my actions and I will not seek nor take any short cuts. I want to apologize to the young people that I bumped in the vehicle ahead of me. I am thankful that no one was hurt.

I have always lived my life dedicated to doing the best I can for myself and those around me. I have always strived for perfection but as we all know, my actions a few weeks ago were far from perfect. I know that I have let my family, friends, fans, the community and myself down. I apologize to all of you. I am sorry.


I have begun to take the steps necessary to live my life in a better way. As always, I will learn from my mistakes and I will continue to focus on the positive impact I can have in the community and for those around me. – Ray Bourque

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...-oui-charge/1vTGW3vdTrabJWzB5MAN4H/story.html

 

[Fenway]

Massachusetts laws were written so that a first offense (assuming no major injuries or death was involved ) could be considered a wake up call.

Ray has to attend drunk school, will pay a HEFTY license reinstatement fee and IF a year from now nothing else happens of a criminal nature the case is 'dismissed'.

Except it is not.


If Ray gets arrested for another OUI in Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction - the first case then automatically becomes a conviction. Since it was a plea arrangement you allow the Commonwealth that power. The only way you can squash an OUI in Massachusetts is to get a not guilty at a trial. By taking the plea you give the Commonwealth the right to bury you if it happens a second time.