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August 5th, 2013
08:23 PM ET

Man buys drinks for woman, but then ...

Legal panel debates the case of a Texas man facing charges after buying drinks for a woman who killed two people.

soundoff (101 Responses)
  1. iVAN jEFFERIES

    I was surprised by Ashleigh's guests comments regarding charging a purveyor of alcohol for serving an intoxicated person. Maybe they should take a look at Canada, particularly Ontario. I recall numerous bartenders being prosecuted for serving drunks and allowing them to drive away, and if you have a house party where alcohol is available, be sure the drivers are fit to drive, the consequences are severe, one could loose ones house if serious injury or death results from an over-consumption on your premises.Same applies to office parties.

    August 6, 2013 at 11:41 am |
  2. Katrina

    I agree completely, the bartender is responsible for over serving the drunk patron.. and that lady should have been poured into a cab for her safety and everyone else's... but let me tell you why that man is buying her drinks
    he knew she was at least tipsy if not drunk
    and he way plying her with more liquor because drunk women make poor decisions
    like go home with someone who maybe sober they wouldn't
    and I know this because I have bartended for a number of years
    and the bartender gave the man the drinks not the drunk woman
    the video did not play, just the audio
    were they sitting at the bar? Did he buy the drinks from the bartender and walk away with them to give them to the drunk woman? Did the bartender know who was drinking them? where were her fellow employees to say hey, he is giving her the shots
    and someone (Bartender, security, patron) should have called the police on the woman when she got into a vehicle.
    I have called the police on patrons twice in my years after offering to pay for a cab, and telling the customer if they got in the vehicle that I would call the police on them!
    it is my job, a liquor licence and a lot of people's lives and livelihoods on the line in those situations and I would rather some one not like me than have an accident such as this on my conscience
    but he knew she was drunk and passing it off onto everyone else is what is wrong with this world... he maybe he can use the Stand Your Ground defence!!

    August 10, 2013 at 6:49 pm |
  3. Corey Burkes

    At what point will people be responsible for their own actions? You get in trouble for 'over serving'? You can get in trouble for buying the drinks in the first place? She's too stupid to stop drinking .... her friends are too stupid to stop her from drinking .... so SOMEBODY has to get in trouble because she went driving drunk.l So even if you put blame on her, why throw everyone under the bus because one person was lush fool? If that's the case, you might as well start serving water at bars exclusively because NO ONE is capable of self control anymore and it's going to be someone else's fault but their own.

    August 11, 2013 at 5:34 pm |
  4. king crimson

    The woman probably drove drunk many times b4. Just bound to happen. Wake up America.Stop the litigious b.s.

    August 13, 2013 at 4:04 pm |
  5. Toby

    Are you serious!! This country is going to far! Action should be taken against the prosecutor for not only going to far but wasting money.. Yes it is ashame this has occurred but the woman took responsibility for her actions and plead guilty. Case closed!!! Sounds like someone wants to make a name for themselves!! If they only put this effort in to stopping government spending and non us citizens that are in office!!

    August 13, 2013 at 9:52 pm |
  6. Candace

    This is beyond ridiculous!!! I have also been a bartender for more yrs than I can count...yes, I am responsible if i serve someone too many drinks and don't take their keys away. The bar that hired me...sure, ok. but that patron that was buying her those drinks? no way. I watch alll of my customers...especially if someone is cut off- i make sure nobody slips them drinks b/c i know that it's my butt in the sling. back to the guy buying the drinks i can bet u he wasn't planning on her leaving that bar by herself. Men don't buy women drinks for nothing they plan on leaving with them to get laid. so how can anyone say that he planned for her to drive. Pul-leeze ppl... get real. Next thing is going to b the ppl that give a quarter to a homeless person...we tell them to get something to eat but they go buy a bottle of liquor, they get drunk they pass out in below freezing temps and and the next day they're found frozen to death. Now guess what, u happen to b on the corner camera throwing some change to the deceased, it doesn't matter how much...it just happens that u were one of the last ppl seen giving them money. Sorry pal "We've got a warrant for your arrest!!! You should have known that person was going to take that money and buy alcohol." GUILTY!!!!!!! So where is it going to end? There is just NO WAY they can charge the customer!!!! Just so u don't get me wrong, I have been sober for for well over 10 years.

    August 14, 2013 at 11:10 am |
  7. J-Man

    It is called "Personal Responsibility". You are responsible for yourself. Feed yourself, house yourself, pay for your clothes and health care coverage. Too many people want to blame everything on someone else or want something that somebody else earned. The person who drank too much and then hurt someone else is the sole party responsible. To say anything else is akin to socialism where the government controls much of what you do.

    August 14, 2013 at 1:44 pm |
  8. Barry

    this is like charging a husband for murder if he bought his wife a gun and she ended up killing someone. doesn't sound right or fair.

    August 14, 2013 at 1:58 pm |
  9. scooby24210

    No question the girl is responsible/guilty. I don't think anyone would argue that one. Whether utilized or not, I think most states have laws regarding responsibility/liability of a bar/restaurant over serving as well. I've seen it happen way too many times. In my opinion bartenders/managers need to cut people off more often. The argument against that, I'm sure, will be it's bad for business. Being responsible for someone injuring or killing a person(s) after leaving your bar is worse. The clip said she'd had 17 shots & 4 beers. I'm shocked ANYBODY is allowed to drink that much! As far as the guy being under arrest, it looked clear to me the girl was drunk off her butt. If the guy had been there ANY length of time & had observed her he would have KNOWN she was drunk. So, I say he IS responsible for SOMETHING. To me, it's just like being guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor but on a much worse/higher level.

    August 14, 2013 at 4:34 pm |
  10. Notacartoonprincess

    He may have behaved badly if he was trying to get her drunk, but not all bad behaviour is criminal.
    Unless he forced or tricked her into drinking, I fail to see the point of this.
    Women are not children, and the same way a woman has a right to make choices about her body without restrictions and to have the law protect that right, she also has a responsibility for those choices.
    She has apparently pleaded guilty and taken responsibility.
    That should be the end of it.

    August 14, 2013 at 5:36 pm |
  11. peter cheever

    in Response to katrina: you AGREE the bartender is responsible??????? who told you so? a 3rd Party, the lawmakers? ever crossed your mind a law is just something somebody wrote down on a sheet of paper? so every one else is responsible when YOU get drunk??

    August 15, 2013 at 4:49 am |
  12. Umbar

    Here's an idea... the thought of personal responsibility... let's flush it down the toilet in order to be an even more litigious society? What ever happened to personal responsibility?

    August 15, 2013 at 5:43 pm |
  13. Marshall

    The state should be held liable for licensing the sale and consumption of alcohol. Once you start down the road of culpable negligence, there's really no end.

    August 16, 2013 at 7:33 pm |
  14. Eric

    In the state of Texas the serving of an intoxicated individual (.08) is subject to both civil and criminal charges. It is viewed in the same vein as serving of a minor. I have bartended and managed bars in the State of Texas. We have a Server Certification program here. Few bars will hire you unless you are certified. The bartender saw the woman being given drinks and the bar was cited.

    This guy might be able to claim ignorance of the law, but if he was ever certified in Texas to sell alcohol (certification started in 1987 as a response of the passage of the dram shop law) there will be no ignorance.

    The reason that they are going after the man is that certification also creates a 'safe harbor' for the bartender and the bar. But the fines and prison time are in no way worth serving a minor or an intoxicated person.

    As far as personal responsibility of the woman, I am sure she was charged with vehicular manslaughter. The bar and server were cited for their actions. This will be an important case here, if the dram shop law can be applied to a patron (the law concerning giving alcohol to minors-with certain qualifications-does apply) then buying a drink for someone becomes a problem.

    And yes, a minor can consume alcohol in Texas under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian , or spouse.

    August 16, 2013 at 10:42 pm |
  15. Someone1

    How is someone else responsible ... ? There are dozens of ppl at a bar at any given time ... or at a house party ... Who knows who is drinking heavily and who isn't ... who is driving and who isn't ... ? How the heck is the bar or the person who threw the party responsible for a drunk person's behaviour after the leave ... ???

    August 17, 2013 at 2:53 am |
  16. John

    I haven't read whether this guy was drinking or not. I would assume that he was if he was buying this woman drinks. He probably wasn't of sound mind either. What about all the other patrons in the bar? They had to of seen how drunk she was getting! As someone who used to drink, I'd be the first to tell you that I can't stand to be around drunks, unless I'm drinking, then they seem like like just normal fun-loving people When intoxicated, our perceptions are altered. That's where the bartender should be there as a Chaperon. I believe that's why the law is there.

    August 17, 2013 at 7:04 am |
  17. Kile

    Why not hold criminals responsible for their own behavior and quit trying to find someone else at fault? Why not sue the bar that he paid, or the distributor of the alcohol or the truck driver that delivered it or the distiller that made it or the farmer that grew the grain that it was fermented from? Where does it end?

    August 17, 2013 at 3:46 pm |
  18. Jennifer

    So..... If I go to the bar tonight, allow some guy to buy my drinks, get wasted and try to drive home drunk then get pulled over or worse, all I have to do is blame the schmuck who picked up the tab? Only in Murica!
    Not to make light of the situation and no I don't drink and drive but come on, people need to hold themselves accountable. This blame game is out of control!

    August 17, 2013 at 4:52 pm |
  19. William

    I've been in the bar business for almost 30 years and I have to say I agree with most of the post on here.
    The young woman who was directly responsible for the accident that killed her victims was held accountable for her actions. 38 years seems a little light given that she killed two people and injured another person through her direct disregard for others, but she'll eventually have to answer for that one in a higher court.
    As far as the bartender goes he should have been held much more accountable then the guy who bought the drinks. He should definitely have cut her off long before she had that much to drink.
    Any good bartender keeps an eye on the patrons and knows how much they've had, especially given that the bar she was in did not look like it was crowded in the video. Jail time does not seem out of the question, in my opinion.
    As to the guy who was buying her the final drinks. If she had already consumed more than a dozen shots and beers, there is no way he did not know that she was intoxicated, and that he should not buy her anymore to drink.
    Was the fact that he did criminal? No. Was it questionable morally? Certainly.

    August 17, 2013 at 5:33 pm |
  20. HZ

    Those of you claiming it isn't fair to the guy are out of touch with reality. The reality is that every bar owner tells the bartenders the LAW that they can't keep serving someone to the point where they are falling down drunk or likely to be unable to drive without being responsible if something happens. This is why bars call cabs for people also. Many bars have went out of business when a bartender ignored the rules... costing the owner and/or insurance millions.

    August 17, 2013 at 6:12 pm |
  21. stretch

    This is a slippery slope. On one hand what is the use of having a law that holds an establishment responsible for serving a patron after they are intoxicated to protect the public at large when someone else can forego this policy by feeding them drinks. On the other hand an argument can be made as to wether the person supplying the drinks new how intoxicated the other was. In this case I believe prosecution is in order. This woman is CLEARLY past the limit, it may not be this mans fault but he contributed to her state. It is no secret as to why men buy women drinks especially if they are already intoxicated. This law should be in place not only for the unsuspecting public,but also for people who are not capable of good decision making because of thier blood alcohol content.

    August 17, 2013 at 9:25 pm |
  22. Joe Rhodes

    I'm going to need to think about this one a while. The DA will have an uphill battle in court. The woman is obviously drunk, the guy is trying to get into her pants, but he has to know its a long shot. He might be guilty of making a bad situation worse, but that's about it. If he had grabbed her keys, he would have been in trouble.

    August 18, 2013 at 12:47 am |
  23. Professor

    If a woman refuses me s-x and I get mad and drive crazy do we get to charge HER?

    The man did a LEGAL thing and should NOT be prosecuted. The BARTENDER is responsible under the Dramshop laws but ONLY civilly. This should NOT be a criminal case. What an outrage!

    August 18, 2013 at 1:43 pm |
  24. Ed Fimbres

    As a former prosecutor, I have charged dozens of servers but it should be understood that under the law of most states, criminal and civil penalties only attach if the person being served is "obviously intoxicated" and clearly a danger to himself or others – This is not the same .08 standard applied to drivers. We are talking about "falling down drunk" – not simply impaired. The common law recognizes the ability of the common person to descern drunkeness but expert testimony or a chemical test is required to show mere impairment.

    August 18, 2013 at 8:07 pm |
  25. AL

    REALLY!! The only person that is responsible for the mishap is the person who did the drinking. NO bartender should be responsible for anybody getting drunk that choose to be. YOU as a person that makes THAT decision to enter a bar is responsible for what takes place inside the bar!! Everyone knows what happens when you drink so there can be no excuses for their own actions. To place the blame on anybody else is just plain dumb! Wake up people!!

    August 19, 2013 at 7:30 am |
  26. Ninety-9

    I can somewhat understand the law about a bartender over-serving, or at least allowing/denying someone who is drunk to buy more alcohol, but almost all of the bars I go to, I can't imagine the bartender knowing all of the people they are serving, unless they're regulars. I don't think I've been to a bar in a good long while where you haven't had to squeeze your way to the counter to order a drink, and when I order, I'll usually order in bulk for me and friends. Get a few pitchers, glasses and some shots, while we're at it. You have 5 bartenders serving hundreds, if not, thousands of people coming and going in a single night, I never get the same bartender twice. The bars are big and have multiple rooms, you can drink on the porch/balcony/beach/boardwaly/etc. (and on some days, they close off the streets for people to drink freely between bars). You're only ID'd when you walk into a bar, but people can take drinks, shots, pitchers, etc out of the bar and drink them with anyone they like. After last call, the liquor stores open and patrons are encouraged to BYOB (or liquor). With all that chaos, (not even including bar-hopping) how in the hell could a single bartender be expected to really know the people who's at what stage of drunkenness and who's OK to drive. IMO, very few people leaving the area are "OK" to drive, but that doesn't stop them and nothing else can stop them. Blaming the bartender, or the guy buying drinks is just a way to point the finger.

    August 19, 2013 at 10:11 am |
  27. are you nuts

    OK this so stupid... how about some personnel responsibility. STOP BEING SUE HAPPY AND TRYING TO SHIFT THE BLAME.
    If you go out drinking YOUR the one responsible.If your going to blame the bartender or the bar owner. the also blame the car manufacturer AND A BIG ONE Blame the doctors that hand out antidepressants like candy, people who take that stuff have one or two drinks and there screwed up drunk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I work at a bar and see damm near every day. Try to get them in a cab and they won't take it or they have the cab go around the block and come back for their car!!!!!!!!!!

    August 19, 2013 at 11:48 am |
  28. Dean

    How about going after the State and the Feds for profiting off of those drinks with the taxes. Aren't they partially responsible?

    August 19, 2013 at 12:48 pm |
  29. AJ

    Hey I hate to rain down on this parade but CNN isn't reporting that this same guy burned down his house last year while trying to make liquid marijuana. So even though he isn't very bright and has enough trouble on his rap sheet, it seems ridiculous to charge this idiot for simply buying this woman drinks.

    August 19, 2013 at 3:21 pm |
  30. TJ

    Who put the camera in the bar!! Why must we be monitored by big brother everywhere we go? I understand wanting to protect yourself against robbery ect. But don't put a camera in the bar!

    August 19, 2013 at 3:34 pm |
  31. chimpimp

    Why not charge everyone in the bar who was with her? After all, they saw that she was drunk and didn't try to stop her? They obviously, should have "known" what was going to happen.

    The false charges made against people are becoming more and more flagrant. It is time people fought back and sued whatever municipality and whoever the prosecutor is, who are making the false charges. This tantamount to perjury except, much worse.

    August 19, 2013 at 5:52 pm |
  32. Nina

    This makes no sense at all! I guess McDonalds should be held accountable for selling a hamburger to an overweight person. We have the freedom to choose what we do and with that comes a certain degree of responsiblity. Aside from that, the bartender is employed to serve drinks and to ensure they are only to people who are of age. Since when did they have to watch over EVERY person that they serve to make sure they don't drink too much or drive drunk. And also? Often times there is more than one bartender so how are they to keep track of who has served how much to each patron. The man buying drinks for the woman is not responsible either as he didn't force her to drink. Is what he did morally wrong? In my opinion yes but you can't charge someone for that as we all have different ideas of what morally right is. I agree with above comments as well regarding the limited coverage on this story. This was meant more for shock and to cause reaction, which it did so good job I guess, rather than providing detailed information on a news story.

    August 20, 2013 at 2:32 am |
  33. j

    the drinks were not the problem. The woman's individual decision to get behind the wheel is the problem. What did this man have to do with the decision of the woman to drive drunk? What influence did he have over her decision to drive drunk? This arrest is ludicrous!

    August 20, 2013 at 8:00 am |
  34. Chris

    Wow. This poor dude

    August 20, 2013 at 3:00 pm |
  35. China Mike

    Litigation has ruined our legal system. Nowhere else in the world can a person sue or go to trial for something so disconnected. So what if he bought her drinks? She was a RESPONSIBLE ADULT, which means she was RESPONSIBLE for herself. Good! I am glad she's going to prison! Yea for the law! But if the dare take the guy who BOUGHT her drinks to court, I'll drive down to that court room, drop my pants, and CRAP on the floor to express physically how I feel about the American justice system.

    August 20, 2013 at 7:27 pm |
  36. Daniel

    Ridiculous. You cannot hold him responsible for her behavior. He is NOT a trained bartender, nor is he in any way, shape, or form responsible for her consumption.

    August 20, 2013 at 7:45 pm |
  37. Steve Barron

    Let's also go after the farmer that grew the grain that was made into the liquor.

    August 21, 2013 at 8:38 am |
  38. Majik

    I agree. let the women buy their own damn drinks. Buying a good looking woman free drinks will never teach them financial responsibility because they think they can get anything for free.. and most likely, you won't end up with them anyway until they are completely drunk (and then accuse you of rape the next day) or they kill someone while drunk driving...

    August 21, 2013 at 9:14 am |
  39. Majik

    and.. what about the other 20-ish guys that bought her drinks before him? He was just the unfortunate bloke that got himself on camera. Kismet, Karma.. whatever you call it... he most likely had it coming anyway eventually...

    August 21, 2013 at 9:16 am |
  40. singletrack74

    Off subject- Is it even attractive anymore to buy a woman a drink? It seems old fashioned and a little presumptuous.

    August 21, 2013 at 10:53 am |
  41. Kathleen

    In the system of government, for some reason, the one with the money will get sued. Odds are he has money and someone is looking for compensation. I think it is ridiculous that he would be responsible for someone else's actions. That's like me suing my grocery store because I am fat.

    August 21, 2013 at 1:01 pm |
  42. LC

    THe original case was big news in Houston, just south of Mongomery. What the CNN article did not say was that the bar already admitted guilt and paid out over $1Mil in fines plus possible civil damages. The girl had multiple DUIs. I would say that by the video there is no way the guy charged could not have known she was very drunk. My impression was that he was egging her on on purpose for his own entertainment, e.g. to see how drunk he could get her. And how drunk he may have been at the time. Its not clear to me whether the shots he gave her were known by the bar staff to be going to her. I do think it was a clear case of poor and willful judgement on his part. THe girl took some innocent lives. Behavior of her, the guy and the bar were all at fault, in my opinion.

    August 21, 2013 at 7:11 pm |
  43. Lol

    In Texas, of all places. The state whose residents tout personal responsibility and are more against any social programs than anybody, and they want to blame somebody for buying somebody else drinks? Good mentality, justice officials of Texas.

    Way to tout personal responsibility!

    August 22, 2013 at 8:17 am |
  44. Donna

    So are waiters responsible when people overeat and become obese and have a hear attack? People need to quit blaming everyone for their situations and start taking responsibility.

    August 22, 2013 at 4:23 pm |
  45. ChelseaM

    I bet the woman who killed the people doesn't have any money so the plaintiffs are going after whoever is even remotely involved who has deeper pockets. If that's the case, the judge should not let them get away with it.

    August 22, 2013 at 8:33 pm |
  46. AZ-Pete

    Another case of ppl not taking responsibility for their actions. She was drunk, she accepted the drinks, case closed, But in our 'It wasn't my fault' society, blame others or, heaven forbid, we have to take the blame for our own actions.

    August 23, 2013 at 11:06 am |
  47. soulsoldseparately

    The woman was under no obligation to ingest the drinks purchased by this man. She willingly and voluntarily chose to consume more alcohol. The decision to do so was entirely hers. She should and must be held accountable for her own decisions, her own actions. I know that there are many people whose modus operandum is pointing the finger at someone else to assume the consequences for actions and decisions we take on our own, but when these people are supported by the legal system, we're in trouble.

    August 23, 2013 at 3:03 pm |
  48. Alex Rivera

    That's terrible. Texas is more backwards than Florida. Whatever happen to personal responsibility? Whatever happen to bartender confiscating the keys" How come someone is getting punished because that dumbarse bimbo left drunk and drove? That is insane. They rather prosecute a man than a woman? Is that that? Damn. That's cold.

    August 24, 2013 at 6:32 am |
  49. chicagorich

    While I can understand the feeling of the need to blame someone for what happened, I wonder about all of this passing the blame up the chain and away from or in addition to the person who actually does the harm. I mean if you really look at this, you can try and blame the person who serves the alcohol, the distributor who sold it to the bar and should have known that this could have happened and then of course the brewer who should realize that by distributing alcoholic beverages a certain percent of their customers will wind up driving drunk. The car manufacturer for not having an interlock device that would have prevented her from starting the car drunk, the state for the poorly designed roads or improper signage that must have contributed. At some point you are left with no businesses, broke governments (and taxpayers), and a bunch of happy lawyers. I think it only makes sense to blame the person who gets in the car drunk. If I strip someone of their car keys because I believe they should not drive I may also have to fight with them and be accused of battery or robbery as well, while I might choose to run this risk, I should not be legally obligated to do so, and certainly not without some protection from the ambiguity in the accuracy of my assessment of whether someone is too drunk to drive. I'm definitely no fan of drunk driving, but I think the buck should stop with the drunk driver.

    August 24, 2013 at 11:27 am |
  50. theredscourge

    How could this guy have possibly known that she would try to drive drunk after? If it was a man driving drunk, would the woman who got him a drink be liable here? No, because the feminist lobby is not satisfied with gender equality, they demand all of the benefits and none of the responsibilities.

    Why don't they charge the farmer who made the grain/barley/hops/whatever required to distill the alcohol which was bought by the distillery which was bought by the bar which was poured by the bartender which was purchased by the guy which was consumed by the woman who broke the law and killed people?

    Where do you draw the line, if not right at the person who decided to get into the driver seat while drunk?

    August 24, 2013 at 8:54 pm |
  51. Dave Seavy

    One comment had to do with putting cameras in a bar, and was the writer believes that's going too far. On the surface, I can agree. I'm in the video security business, and there are instances I think cameras are over-done. But digging a little deeper, sometimes cameras can be your best friend. Example: I have several bar owners for clients. A woman claimed a man grabbed her breast in a bar. We were able to disprove her story because of video. In another case, two patrons at a different bar claimed they slipped on the floor because an employee left something in the way. Video showed their story to be a lie. Many frivolous law suits and/or false criminal charges can be quickly put down thanks to a camera being in the right place at the right time. In many situations, I'd rather have a camera keeping track of things because you never know when someone is looking for attention and a big payout.

    August 25, 2013 at 5:11 am |
  52. Michael A

    Unless he put her in an arm-bar and forced the drink down her throat he has no responsibility for her actions following the drink, which by the way was likely one of many that he had no involvement in. No one can say for sure that she wouldn't have killed those 2 people with the liquor she had already consumed.

    August 26, 2013 at 9:48 am |
  53. Mike D

    LOL what a joke.

    If the guy had of tried to make sure the girl was safe – and take her home or something along the lines, people would probably accuse him of rape. Or trying to take advantage of a drunk girl.

    Poor guy, it was lose-lose.

    August 27, 2013 at 1:35 am |
  54. ssid

    go for jury trial,any half sane jury will throw this out on its head, even the judge would do the same under summary judgement, ridiculous abuse of official power by the prosecurtor...idiot should be fired

    August 27, 2013 at 7:00 pm |
  55. VTD

    How is that at all his fault! he didn't force anything on her. she willingly got drunk and got into a car. she mite not have even been drunk when she left. could have went somewhere else after... N another thing is... if i were to rob a bank is it the tellers job to stop me or let it happen, and let the police deal with it... which is exactly what has happened here. he served the drinks and waited for the police to catch her...

    August 28, 2013 at 8:58 am |
  56. Jenn

    Ii'm sorry but the only people responsible is the female that is drinking and the bartender that didn't stop selling drinks to her or anyone buying them for her. Bar owners need to make sure their bartenders are trained not only on serving drinks but knowing when to cut people off. buying someone a drink isn't a crime especially when the buying party is also been drinking... the rational person is the sober bartender who should have made the decision to stop serving. simple as that.

    August 29, 2013 at 5:34 am |
  57. Public Enemy Number 2

    The only person responsible was the person behind the wheel. End of story.

    August 29, 2013 at 12:00 pm |
  58. Justin

    The girl is responsible.

    Claiming that ANYONE else is responsible is bull. I don't even buy that the bartenders are responsible in these situations. It's not their fault that individuals are too irresponsible to stop drinking. Obviously people should be shut off when they get to this state – but that's not to say they won't just walk to the next bar (or drive!) and try again.

    The man should be free and clear. Even if he knew she was that intoxicated – you can always say no when someone offers you a drink. Even when I'm blitzed I know I shouldn't drive, and have called others for a ride in extreme situations where I was somewhere I couldn't walk home from – intoxication is not an excuse for horrible judgment leading to life threatening decisions.

    If we're prosecuting the man who bought her drinks, we should prosecute the guy who delivered the alcohol to the bar in such a large quantity that people could become intoxicated, and then we should prosecute the person who ordered the alcohol for the bar, and then prosecute the brewery for making so much alcohol, and then prosecute the farmer who grew the ingredients, and then prosecute the company that sold the farmer the seeds to grow the grain/hops/etc. to produce the alcohol. I'm sure there's more people we can hold responsible if we think hard enough.

    Dumb. <– Our Country and our laws.

    August 30, 2013 at 6:51 am |
  59. Reality check

    I'm just trying to figure out what SPECIFIC law was broken here. Only in 'Texas' (SMH)

    August 30, 2013 at 8:12 am |
  60. Orlando

    This is bs....im guessing this mans attorney should look into who this girl is related to.

    August 30, 2013 at 10:18 am |
  61. Aaron

    Trying to get screwed gets you screwed..poor guy..

    August 30, 2013 at 12:14 pm |
  62. josh

    Who is to say the guy buying the shots was in the right state of mind to determine wether she was drunk or not. Thats the sober bartenders job to cut people off.

    August 30, 2013 at 12:57 pm |
  63. cabinr

    Why stop at holding this guy responsible? How about the woman that gave birth to the man who bought the drinks? What about the mint that printed the money that the man used to pay for the drinks? What about the manufacturer of the car he drove to go to the bar to buy the woman the drinks? What about the manufacturer of the wallet he used to hold the money he used to buy the drinks?

    August 31, 2013 at 12:46 pm |
  64. fooloof

    what is he being charged with? if it's in connection to the deaths, then I think the prosecution is going to have to prove that the two shots he bought her are what caused her to be that drunk.

    August 31, 2013 at 11:10 pm |
  65. invidinvasion

    How about implementing this? Take every patrons car keys away from them as they enter the alcohol serving establishment. Place a breathalyzer at every bar/restaurant and have patrons blow into it every time they want a drink or before they attempt to leave the bar. When they blow the legal limit cut them off and call a cab for them if no designated driver is with them. Sounds kind of ridiculous doesn't it? Yes. But this is exactly what is being discussed here. Think it would be good or bad for business? That my fellow humans is a point of view only you can distinguish. On one hand you are great for being a responsible business and concerned, and on the other people won't come because they know they have to be responsible, and not too many people can handle that! The only people that would visit would be the non-drinkers. Maybe good for restaurant business only for those 'self righteous' types. Am I right? Think about it before condemning my thoughts. Thank you.

    September 1, 2013 at 7:41 am |
  66. Really?

    So girl is an adult.... Made the decision to drink..... Guy buys drink.... Girl decides to drive, while drunk..... Kills two people.... Clearly the guys fault. Where is the logic coming from?

    Better decision.... Girl stays home to read. Guy stays home to read.... Guy nod girl learn something they didn't know before! Or if you want to be social bodies..... Pick one guy or girl that doesn't drink...... Invite the to come along strictly to drive. Orrrrrrrrr taxi.... Orrrrr phone a friend. If you have no friends to phone, buy a bottle and drive home sober before drinking!

    September 1, 2013 at 10:25 am |
  67. VelveteenLady

    People get lost in the details, of a story such as this. It can be debated, for years, who had what responsibility and who should have better "sense", etc. I believe that there is a chain of responsibility, when it comes to keeping drunks off the road. When an impaired (from alcohol, drugs, or prescription meds) driver takes the wheel of a motor vehicle, she/he is using a 2,000 lb. lethal weapon indiscriminately on the roads and highways. The word impaired means "functioning poorly or incompetently," so which part of that definition means that it is OK to allow a drunk driver to drive a motor vehicle? It's pretty easy to determine when a person is not capable of driving, especially if it's the person, who is buying the drinks. Certainly, if the guy can't count, he can tell when the conversation is deteriorating. He should be convicted of contributing to the deaths of those unfortunate people because he contributed to her reaching the point of legal impairment. As a result, his contribution to that drunk woman, taking the wheel of a lethal weapon (automobile) is the same as if that guy had given her a loaded gun, encouraged her to shoot up the club or the bar, and she did. Sensible people do not act the way that he did or she did, and I have to wonder about the bartender too.

    September 2, 2013 at 4:26 am |
  68. darryl webster

    The part they fail to mention in this article is this man was also a patron buying the drinks for the woman not the bartender, under texas law when you supply alcohol to another person who is already over the limit you can also be charged, bartender house party or whatever the situation may be

    September 2, 2013 at 9:35 am |
  69. Pyongyang Dank

    This is as logical as charging the server at Olive Garden for giving you a clogged artery.

    September 3, 2013 at 10:20 am |
  70. brad brown

    it is the same as giving a suicidal person bullets.

    September 3, 2013 at 12:06 pm |
  71. brad brown

    don't forget the farmer that grew the grain, or the one that grew the sugar,. What about God for making the sand that the glass was made of or the water that made the ice cubes. Where can the line be drawn? how about the person that made the decision to drink the crap?

    September 3, 2013 at 12:12 pm |
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