Taoyuan prosecutors sought a severe penalty for a man surnamed Lin (林) over an indictment for driving under the influence (DUI), as he has been convicted six times on such charges in the past 11 years.
Lin, 33, was indicted this week, with charges including offenses against public safety stemming from an incident on Oct. 20.
Lin was stopped on a motorcycle at a checkpoint in Taoyuan’s Tayuan District (大園), with a Breathalyzer test showing that he had an alcohol level of 0.34 milligrams per liter (mg/l), exceeding the legal limit of 0.15mg/l.
Lin told police officers that he had drunk three bottles of beer at a local temple that night and was traveling home.
While preparing their case, prosecutors discovered the previous convictions.
The earliest records showed that he had been caught drunk driving in 2007 and was fined NT$40,000, before a second conviction in 2009 was punished with 40 days in prison, prosecutors said.
He was convicted twice in 2012, which each brought a two-month term, and in 2013, he received a six-month term on new charges, prosecutors said.
In 2015, a court gave him another six-month term, which was commuted to a fine, they said.
As Lin is a repeat offender with six convictions for drunk driving, prosecutors said the court must not show any leniency in the latest case and must impose a heavy punishment, adding that his actions show he has no remorse and has not learned his lesson.
Lin has risked the lives of others and ignored the danger posed by drunk driving, and the court must be strict to deter him and others from driving under the influence of alcohol, they said.
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