Hey there, MissK. I work in the legal system, and I can tell you that I see stuff like this all the time. Here's the short and long of it: getting two separate branches of the government to work simultaneously is like pulling teeth. It takes months at the least for court computers and DMV computers to have matching information. I've even seen cases where it's taken years. Your friend was not discriminated against. It's just that anytime the government must handle paperwork, they take a long time to get everything processed. Documents have to change a lot of hands and everytime it goes between even two people, you have the potential for the papers to get lost or even procrastination. Multiply that by five or ten other individuals who have to get their hands on the files and the result is information transfers move at a snail's pace within this dynamic.

Here's basically the trail the court file follows. It goes from the police officer's ticket to the clerk's office (already one governmental dept. transfer to another, not just among people who work in the same office -- or building) so that it can be made into a court file. Then from the clerk's office it goes to an assignment office so that it can be assigned to a judge. Then it goes to the judge's office. The bailiff or judge's secretary has to log it in. The bailiff will give it to the prosecutor, and then the prosecutor will share the file with the defense attorney. Finally it gets to the judge. But that's not the end of it! After sentencing, the file goes back to the bailiff and back to the clerk's office. Think you're done? Hardly! Now you've got to wait to get information from the probation office, any community service office, restitution office (if there was an accident), any counselling office that does a drug/alcohol assessment on your friend, and any department that was instructed to place a boot on the car, breathalyzer or drunk driver plates on the car. That's not even all the hoops you have to jump through at the DMV!!!!! And you still have to deal with your insurance company. Basically court cases are a multi-dimensional oddysey that take an eggregiously long time to process through the right channels; and during that interim where things are getting processed, it's best to stay under the radar of the cops.

Silver lining? The judge will sort this mess out with the suspensions, driving privileges and what information shows up on LEADS in the officer's computer when the cases go before him -- again. He/She will make a special notation in the file so that the DMV can be flagged about what's going on. But even then I can't promise you it will eliminate all the trouble.

All in all, hopefully this experience was enough of a pain in the butt that your friend will never, ever decide to put herself in a situation where she will get another DUI and will make her realize why it's important to keep updated insurance information on her person whenever she gets into the car. If this process were easy then people wouldn't have as much motivation to quit drinking and driving! If the DUI itself doesn't kill you, then the bureaucracy following just might do the trick.

Just to make it even shorter....Welcome to Despotism! This is why our founding fathers believed punishment should be swift and sure to prevent free people from being dragged through a system like this.

But with humans at the reigns, it can't be swift because of our limited perceptions. We need all of the information indicated above before making such important decisions. And because we are not omnipresent, we must wait on other humans to help us track down the information.

hm..
well..
im sorry dear but this is a case of a thing called a corrupt heartless governmental system that only gives a **** about your money and not how you are effected.

Umm...Saroin420, what would your tune be if this person had been drinking and driving and then crashed his/her car into your family vehicle, killing your parents and siblings? Sure, you'd be crying to the government for help and justice then, right?

yup i sure would be.
people are also heartless and stupid and only give a **** about your money :)