Randy Travis fans in Iowa may have heard that in 2012, he was taken into custody after a DUI and that he had a stroke in 2013. The 2012 incident involved a video of a naked and ranting Travis. The incident occurred in Texas, and Travis and his family have been fighting to keep the footage from being released.
In September, a lawsuit filed by Travis stated that under health record privacy regulations, the footage should be kept private. However, the judge said there was not a substantial likelihood of success. On Nov. 30, Travis’ attorney said he would file a motion to have the order stayed. He also said he would file an appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The federal court also rejected a request from Travis’ wife to file a lawsuit on behalf of her husband. Travis’ lawsuit said it was inappropriate to show the footage since Travis could no longer speak about it because of his stroke. His attorney said the footage of people in personal moments should remain private if the people later suffer an injury, such as a concussion or a mental health breakdown.
Drunk driving charges may still be serious even if they do not involve video footage. Even first-time offenses may have repercussions for some occupations along with legal penalties. Penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol could include fines, jail time and license suspension. People who are facing drunk driving charges might want to consider whether they are more concerned about getting the charges dropped altogether or reducing their sentences. For example, a person with several prior convictions might be primarily concerned with reducing or avoiding jail time.
Source: ABC News, “Randy Travis loses legal bid to keep DUI footage private,” Kristin M. Hall, 11/30/2017
