In a Dec. 30 editorial the Butler Eagle asked judicial candidates for the open seat in the Court of Common Pleas of Butler County to offer suggestions in response to the very sad loss of Aleksander Teimouri. Alek was tragically hit on Dec. 26 as he was returning from work by a driver who is alleged to have been drinking and driving. The reported blood alcohol content (BAC) for the driver was .141, which is way above the .08 limit.

Judicial candidates are not permitted to comment directly on cases that may go before them and as it is likely that this case should be heard in our courthouse, please understand my response is guided in part by this principle. Further, as also required, I want to provide assurances that I will keep an open mind and carry out adjudicative duties faithfully and impartially if elected.

My heart breaks for Alek’s mother and family and words cannot adequately express my condolences and sadness. I wish that I had the privilege of knowing Alek during his lifetime. His goals of helping people during his life and giving life to others after his tragic passing are truly inspirational and heroic. When I saw his photograph, and read about him, it was clear that he was beautiful, both inside and outside. His passion to help and encourage others leaves emptiness in our community. With the gift of his organs, his presence however will continue to impact others and live on.

With Alek’s loss on all of our minds, as the editor thoughtfully requested, a closer look at how we handle DUIs in our court system is appropriate. It is evident that Alek always wanted to help others. Reflecting on how his death can prevent future tragedies is an opportunity for all of us to preserve his legacy of service. My suggestions on addressing DUIs in general include Prevention, Personal choices with accountability, and proper Punishment.

I just read an article about Utah’s new DUI law that started Dec. 30, that reduces its BAC limit to 0.05. In that article, it was referenced that almost 29 people still die each day from alcohol-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is an unacceptable and preventable statistic.

Pennsylvania also adopted a new DUI related law, Act 153, that went into effect on Dec. 23, 2018. This act did not reduce our .08 BAC limit but increases penalties by raising a third offense to a felony if the BAC is over .16 and raising all fourth offenses to felonies. Before this act, we were one of a handful of states that still charged habitual repeat DUI offenders with misdemeanors. Mandatory prison sentences for DUI-related deaths have also increased. Charging habitual repeat offenders with a felony is an improvement, but we need to address the prevention of DUIs and how we can better handle all DUI related cases.

We must look at better ways our community can educate and properly treat those with substance abuse and mental health concerns. The reality we all know is that anyone who chooses to drink and/or use drugs and drive puts their life and the lives of others in the community at risk. We all can be part of the progress by learning from Alek and helping others. Don’t let others drink and drive. Insist on it. Be prepared with options by designating a driver, calling a taxi, or using services like Uber or Lyft to name a few. Making that call and paying for a driving service is a small price to pay to protect our community. Please remember this and act responsibly always.

If we know of a person at risk, approach to offer solutions for treatment. It may be uncomfortable but do it and be persistent. It is vital to get to the root of problems that trigger substance abuse that can lead to drinking and driving. If I am elected judge, I want to work on improving access to treatment, and avoid nepotism and favoritism in referrals from the court. We need providers who are caring, giving, and who follow the same principles that Alek possessed.

For those DUIs that are not prevented, the court needs to hold those impaired drivers, and their enablers, accountable and properly punished to the fullest extent of the law and in a fair manner given the circumstances of the case. Punishment needs to serve as a better deterrent and appropriate treatment is needed to prevent repeat offenders. Impaired drivers must face the serious consequences of their personal decisions. We need more attention to these DUI related cases in our courthouse and we need to avoid favoritism and leniency to some (to include early release from probation) when handling DUIs in this county.

I look forward to hearing from others in the community on this subject and be assured that I will be thinking of Alek and his family as I continue to search for more suggestions.

Attorney Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale is a declared candidate for Butler County common pleas judge.