On Cowboys and DUI's

Once again a Cowboy makes the headlines for running afoul of the law. This time, however, it's one of them Cowboys from up in Stillwater.

Justin Blackmon, a 20-year old wide receiver for Oklahoma State, was arrested Monday night for driving under the influence (DUI) in Dallas after Monday Night Football. Of course, if you're a Dallas fan, heavy drinking is about the only way to handle one of their games.

When Mr. Blackmon was stopped for speeding, the officer administered a series of roadside coordination exercises. Presumably this was after he smelled alcohol on Mr. Blackmon's breath. Even though Mr. Blackmon "passed" the exercises he was still arrested for DUI because (1) he was under the age of 21 and (2) he had a detectable amount of alcohol in his body.

There is no allegation that Mr. Blackmon was intoxicated or otherwise impaired. The only allegation is that he consumed alcohol and got behind the wheel of a car. Since driving under the influence is a Class C misdemeanor (the equivalent of a traffic ticket), the maximum punishment Mr. Blackmon could face is a $500 and the suspension of his driving privileges for 60 days.

So before anyone gets too up in arms over Mr. Blackmon's arrest, what he allegedly did Monday night in Dallas is nothing worse than most college students do every weekend.