A man and his daughter were both arrested on California DUI charges within 24 hours; the daughter faces felony vehicular homicide charges blamed on an alcohol problem stemming from family issues.
55-year-old Burton Fisher, Jr., appeared in court to ask for a bond reduction on a felony DUI count so he could enter a treatment program. The judge granted Fisher's request despite the fact he has been convicted on DUI charges 5 times in the past. The most recent DUI charge, however, was in 2001, and a judge granted some leniency due to the circumstances surrounding this incident.
Tawny Summer Fisher-Jones was arrested on February 22 for causing the death of Merry Jane Trewhella in a suspected DUI accident. The accident occurred hours after Fisher called police to report his daughter was unresponsive as a result of too much partying. He learned police never arrested her or detained her after his phone call, and Fisher-Jones later caused the fatal accident.
Police did not arrest the woman because, though she was intoxicated in her truck, she did not have keys to the car, meaning she did not meet the definition of being in "physical control" of the vehicle. A friend told the officers Fisher-Jones would not be driving herself home. The accident occurred near the anniversary of the death of Fisher-Jones's son.
Fisher told a judge he was in town to attend a memorial for his deceased grandson. He otherwise resides with the North Cheyenne tribe where he is a singer and drum keeper for the group. His attorneys argued he was facing extreme circumstances when he returned to Billings for the memorial, including the arrest of his daughter hours after he had reported her for dangerous behavior.
Fisher was arrested the next day with a BAC approaching .3%. A judge noted these extraordinary circumstances as part of the need for treatment. He did not grant a request for a reduction of the $20,000 bond levied against Fisher. Fisher's attorneys say this bond is far too high as a result of Fisher's connection to his daughter's DUI accident.
This case points to the way alcohol problems, including DUI, can be a symptom of family and addiction issues. Fisher told the court he was an "absent father," according to the Billings Gazette, due to his own alcoholism and emotional challenges.
It is common for children of individuals who exhibit a number of DUI arrests to additionally make bad decisions when it comes to drinking and driving. In this case, the family's troubles ended in the sad death of another individual. The limitations of both the law enforcement officials and the courts to solve this problem were apparent in the circumstances of this case.
