The Boston Globe

Opinion

Boston.com

Lawrence Harmon

In drunken driving cases, some judges are indefensible

By Lawrence Harmon

 |  Globe Columnist  

  November 12, 2011

Across Massachusetts, motorists charged with drunken driving are tipping their glasses to district judges. Why, after all, would the accused want to roll the dice on a jury trial when the likelihood of acquittal at a bench trial in front of a judge exceeds 80 percent? That acquittal rate is virtually unsurpassed in the nation, and about 30 percentage points higher than the acquittal rate by Massachusetts juries.

Thank you for reading BostonGlobe.com. You have reached the monthly limit for free articles — to continue reading, get unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com now for just 99¢ for 8 weeks.

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com includes:

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
GET STARTED TODAY

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help