Danny Blanton is back on the street after the Mississippi Parole Board released him from prison last week. He served less than year in prison after his conviction for a fourth-offense DUI.
Madison County Circuit Judge Steve Ratcliff sentenced former DHS
Communications Director Danny Blanton to serve 10 years in prison but suspended six years of the sentence on September 6, 2022. His BAC was 0.216. Earlier post.
Blanton was arrested on July 10, 2021 for a DUI. He was convicted of DUIs in June 2021, May 2014, and July 2004. However, each previous conviction was classified as a first-offense DUI, thus ensuring he never served time in prison. He previously served as the Public Relations Director at Ole Miss but resigned the position in November 2015.
A DUI is considered to be a non-violent offense so it qualifies for early release after the defendant serves 25% of the sentence. The Parole Board granted parole to Blanton on August 25.
Kingfish note: When legislators brag about locking up drunk drivers, don't believe them. They fixed the law so such offenders are considered to be "non-violent" and eligible for 25% release.
This parole proves Mississippi's drunk driving laws are little more than a joke. Drunks can get arrested over and over without fear of serving but a few months in prison.
Of course when they kill someone, then the hand-wringing will begin but that is a post for another day.
32 comments:
Great! Danny has worked hard to reform himself and he’s a good Christian Man. Only Jesus can judge.
"However, each previous conviction was classified as a first-offense DUI, thus ensuring he never served time in prison."
Actually, two first-offense DUIs, plus a second-offense DUI, equals a third-offense felony DUI, assuming they all occurred within a certain time frame. It used to be five years; I think it's 10 now.
I believe pleading to a second first-offense DUI only affects the punishment, not whether it constitutes an underlying DUI for the purposes of enhancement.
To 5:17: Only God can judge a person's heart. Human judges judge human behavior.
August 30, 2023 at 5:17 PM; hopefully this is sarcasm, but if it is not, i will respond with this. no one is judging him. he is an alcoholic piece of shit that has driven drunk so many times he got 4 DUIs.
how many times has he driven drunk and not been caught?
how many times does someone have to drive drunk to get 4 DUIs?
every time he drove drunk, there was a chance that somebody's loved one wouldn't make it home.
10 years should have meant 10 years.
@5:17
There are millions of "good Christians" who have good intentions but life altering addictions.
The previous law only had a five year look back, so it seems that this current charge actually carried some time with it under the new laws win under the old laws, it looks like it would’ve been a DUI first. It may have only been a year, but it was a whole year and that’s a lot more time that he did and would have done under the old law.
I am a recovering big time alcoholic. Messed my life up horribly with my addiction. Sober now for 11 years. Until you understand the cancer of dopamine you will always have a cruel heart to "drunks". I know Danny. I know his wife. They are good people. Hopefully this will be the trigger that gets him into the program for good.
Sounds like a perfect candidate for the RCSO!
This thug is going to violate his parole in no time
4th offense DUI is a felony, a much worse label than being in jail for a few months. You basically can never get a job or find housing again.
He was only taking up space that could be used for a murderer. I would much rather he be out and a person who murders another person be put in his bunk.
I do not know this man or his family; but, as a terrible drunk with 3 decades of sobriety I do know that he has put himself, his family and his friends through a hellacious ride. I can never tell when someone has really sobered up. I hope he has but it doesn’t seem likely. Alcohol is the most highly calibrated poison in history. Those that do know this guy need to set boundaries, rules and expectations and make sure he knows them. He needs a sponsor for sure. I’ll pray for him.
Mississippi's parole system is broken. This is nothing. Remember a few weeks ago Kingfish reported Monroe Walden was paroled on a Monday and set his mother on fire after beating her to death and burning the house down. This was on Thursday of that week. He was paroled after serving 11 years for shooting his cousin in the back with a shotgun and killing her.
Hey 6:52 I guess he was paroled so Monroe Walden would have a bunk to sleep in.
Exactly right 6:25! If he can't find work thats probably where he will end up!
Quoting from the previous post linked above:
"Blanton spoke for himself in a steady voice. He served 25 years as an officer in the military. He deployed six times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He endured four IED strikes that resulted in casualties. He returned to Afghanistan as an adviser after his service was completed.
He said "I have always tried to live an honorable life" but "despite my efforts to live an honorable life, alcohol destroyed it all." Blanton said his drinking began in 2012 and resulted in "four indiscretions that brought me here. Despite spending 25 years fighting for your rights, I can never vote or bear arms." He said the arrest made him get help and he has been sober for 450 days. "
Assuming that the above is factual, no one can walk in his shoes that hasn't been in combat.
The damages done by IED blasts (and head injuries in general) are well documented. A lif can be changed in a instant.
Hoping for all concerned that he is able to maintain sobriety and also obtain some relief from his injuries and what haunts him.
Otherwise others lives may change or be ended in an instant.
Under the old law, which was in place 11 years ago when I got my last DUI, Blanton would have been facing at most a DUI 2nd, which I think carried 10 days.
Some of the finest people I know are recovering alcoholics, doing their best to live by spiritual principles.
I would like to apologize to all who visit this group of comments.
I had finished typing what I thought was a funny comment reeking with satire, and then realized how classless it was and how wrong it was. Drunk driving is nothing to try to make funny comments about.
Sorry guys. Seriously sorry.
Excuse him for partying.
Jesus will forgive, but man is still accountable to the government. As such, the corrupt courts let him out of jail
Gotta love justice in Mississippi
Another clown judge terrorizing the community by suspending away sentences until they are meaningless.
6:52 - there are plenty of bunks available.
I am a one-time convicted (and admitted) DUI offender. I learned my leason. I didn't like seeing it, reading about it, or admitting to it. But - I did it. Mine was only a minor offense - 0.08, maybe. But, it was close enough, I didn't fight it. I recognized my failing and decided it was time to admit that failing and quit.
But - FOUR TIMES??? Hell, that means every night and you just didn't get caught.
Again, there are plenty of beds available for this criminal, and they are much better than coffins in morgues for those that his idiocy and incompetency to control himself could be filling.
His so-called 'service' with DPS shouldnt be a consideration, but with the leadership of this current so-called Parole Board (should be called, the board that will let uou out if you have access to the chairman from Jackson County) - isn't a justifiable reason for him being literally 'back on the streets' again.
WHY THE HELL TURN LOOS what is obviously a lifetime drunk back on the streets? How will you five --- no, now it is four ---- Parole Board members fill when this drunk, who drives, kills or maims some innocent driver?
At that point, you should all resign; can't blame it on your incompetent chairman then, because it took at least three of you to vote for this stupidity.
10:29: “0.08, maybe” isn’t really much of a confession of guilt. It’s more like an old-time preacher who says “I’m a sinner,” but doesn’t talk or act like he really believes it.
10:46: Based on your analogy, you might not be “performing“ so well yourself.
8:09 PM thanks for that info. If factual the man deserves our sincere thanks for his incredible service.
The damage caused by Bush/Cheney’s Iraq War lie is incalculable. Had Afghanistan been the sole priority there’s no way to estimate how quickly that war may have ended. Afterwards we may not have gotten the affirmative action Prez which means our entire country could have been on a much, much better path today.
The elder Bush (that fought in WWII) said after Desert Storm “we were not going to get involved in another Vietnam” but the former drunk Jr Bush “W” (Air National Guard during Vietnam) thought he knew better.
Having said this, innocents, especially children deserve better. One could argue a 4th-offense DUI being considered "non-violent" means an “armed robber” with a gun is "non-violent" as long as he doesn’t shoot the victim(s) that he robs? The man needs help; and the public deserves protection from him.
P. S. 10:29 PM, very, very, well said!
A lot of these comments are about him being a drunk and how damaging it is, etc. The state of Mississippi doesn't care if he is a hopeless drunk. Someone put Lyft and Uber on his phone.
I work in state gov downtown in the high salary range and we all start drinking at lunch and pace ourselves all afternoon until right before 4 when we slam a few shots and then race back to Rankin and Madison to get toe up and go out!
I know Danny well and he is a good man that suffers from the "disease" of alcoholism. I too have been in recovery for over 11 years. It's a progressive illness that robs the mind, body, and spirit. I will continue to support my friend and others like him as we trudge the road....
No one gives a shit how much he drinks, JUST DON'T drive. How hard is that?
I have been doing it for about 40 years.
6:53 sez: "One could argue a 4th-offense DUI being considered "non-violent" means an “armed robber” with a gun is "non-violent" as long as he doesn’t shoot the victim(s) that he robs?"
...and concludes his post by celebrating the post at 10:29 who claims his DUI "..was only a minor offense (drunk) at .08"
Seems 6:53 is wrapped around the axle of his own logic.
8:21 AM you gotta get away from that lawyer math.
1st offense (especially .08, i.e. he’s .01 away from walking 8:21 AM) is a mistake;
2nd offense is a F-up;
3rd offense is a major F-Up;
4th offense means your dumb A_ _ might not be fixable and there’s absolutely no doubt you are a danger to society.
Pretty simple math.
Those responsible for his being free have to go to bed every night praying he doesn’t kill somebody; because, well…that/those deaths will be…
Sounds like the man has a reason to drink. Just imagine what all he has seen and been part of. I have been part of only a fraction of the experiences he had and I have a big problem going to sleep at night. Too many of our military comes home with problems they cannot handle. There is no one to help them and many self medicate. On the other hand I know a man who has had 13 DUIs. I bailed him out of jail for 6 of them. He once got 2 of them in one month. His advice was to keep your mouth shut and pay off the right people and you do not have to worry about a DUI.
.08 BAC is the "presumptive" level for DUI. You can be arrested for DUI at .07 or .06 (for example) if you are impaired.
I don't drink or imbibe in 'the Weed' but I do find it fascinating that most Southerners find sympathy for drunks like this and the release of them, and have no problem with the sale of alcohol.
But many of those same people take great umbrage with the devils lettuce and feel strongly that anyone caught with it should be locked up for ever.
I am not an advocate for or against either. But the difference in reaction and acceptance is interesting, as a spectator.
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