DRUNK DRIVER IS ORDERED CLOSER TO LIQUOR STORE

CINCINNATI - An Ohio judge has thrown the address book at a chronic drunk
driver, ordering the man to move within easy walking distance of a liquor
store or face up to 1 years in jail.

In a sentence meted out on New Year's Eve, Hillaboro Municipal Judge James
Hapner also ordered Dennis Cayse to spend the first week of each of the
next five years in jail.

The judge also directed that Cayse be handcuffed to the passenger-side door
or be seated with someone between him and the driver when he travels.

It was the 18th drunk driving conviction for Cayse, who lost his license
years ago but continued to drive anyway.

The relocation order requires Cayse to move within "easy walking distance,"
defined as one-half mile or less, of a liquor store within 30 days.
University of Cincinnati law professor Christo Lassiter said the multiple
sentence passed constitutional muster.

"It appears to me that this sentence is neither unconstitutional nor
inappropriate." Lassiter said Friday. "It looks to me like the judge felt
that there was nothing be could do to keep the man off the road except to
make him move to where he could walk to buy his booze."

Others were not quite so charitable about the sentence in Hillaboro, a town
of 6,000 just east of Cincinnati.

"For as long as I have been associated with law enforcement, I have never
heard of such an unusual sentence.

"It's very squirrelly," said Lt. Ronald Ward of the Highland County
Sheriff's Office,

A spokeswoman for Mothers Against Drunk Driving denounced the sentence for
being too lenient and for sending the wrong public message.