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I was 20, working graveyard shifts at a 7-Eleven, when I got slammed with a $1,200 DUI that would destroy my entire life.
The citation claimed I was driving drunk at 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, weaving between lanes and refusing a breathalyzer test.
One problem: I don't drink alcohol. I'm a recovering addict who's been sober for three years.
Officer Thompson wrote that he pulled me over outside Miller's Bar on Fifth Street.
He claimed I reeked of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and failed every field sobriety test.
But I was restocking energy drinks at 7-Eleven during my overnight shift.
My register transactions showed I sold $847 worth of merchandise between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m.
The security cameras captured me behind the counter at the exact time he claimed I was drunk driving.
I couldn't afford a lawyer.
A DUI conviction would mean losing my license, my job, and probably going back to jail.
So I printed everything—work schedules, register logs, security footage timestamps, even my three-year sobriety chip.
I practiced my defense speech until my hands stopped shaking.
This was life or death.
The courthouse reeked of desperation and broken dreams.
I watched person after person accept plea deals for things that would ruin their lives.
When they called my name, Officer Thompson walked up looking like he'd done this a thousand times.
He was massive, intimidating, with dead eyes and a bored expression.
"Your Honor, I observed the defendant's vehicle swerving erratically on Fifth Street.
Upon contact, the defendant exhibited classic signs of intoxication—slurred speech, alcohol odor, bloodshot eyes.
He became combative and refused all sobriety tests."
Combative? I was working at 7-Eleven, Officer Thompson.
When it was my turn, I started carefully.
"Officer Thompson, what kind of car was I driving?"
He looked confident.
"Blue Ford sedan."
"Your Honor, I don't own a car.
I've never owned a car.
I take the bus to work every night because I can't afford insurance."
Thompson's eye twitched.
"The defendant is obviously lying."
"Officer, you said I was outside Miller's Bar on Fifth Street?"
"That's correct."
"What was I wearing?"
"Dark clothing. A hoodie."
"Your Honor, here's security footage from my workplace showing me in my bright orange 7-Eleven uniform at 3:15 a.m.
Here are my register receipts proving I was actively working.
Here's my bus pass showing my route home at 6:30 a.m."
I laid out everything, but Thompson doubled down hard.
"I've made thousands of DUI arrests. I know drunk driving when I see it. This kid is lying through his teeth."
That's when the judge asked the question that exposed everything:
"Officer Thompson, how many DUI arrests have you made in the past two months?"
Thompson puffed up with pride.
"DUI enforcement is my specialty, Your Honor.
I'd estimate 60 to 70 arrests in the past sixty days.
I work the bar district exclusively on weekends."
"60 to 70 arrests?"
The judge's eyebrows shot up.
"In two months?"
"At least. Last Saturday alone I made eight arrests.
These drunk drivers are everywhere after 2 a.m."
The judge started typing furiously, his face darkening.
"Officer Thompson, according to our booking records, you've made 127 DUI arrests since January 1st.
That's more than four per week."
"I'm very thorough, Your Honor."
"I see. And how many of these defendants had legal representation?"
Thompson shifted uncomfortably.
"Most couldn't afford lawyers."
"Officer Thompson, I'm looking at something interesting here.
You've arrested the same person for DUI three separate times—Marcus Williams.
But Marcus Williams has been serving an 18-month sentence in county jail since November."
The courtroom went dead silent.
Thompson's face turned gray.
"Furthermore," the judge continued, voice now razor-sharp,
"I'm seeing arrests made at addresses that don't exist—1247 Fifth Street, 892 Miller Avenue.
You've been arresting people outside businesses that closed years ago."
"Your Honor, paperwork errors happen—"
"Officer, you arrested someone for DUI outside Blockbuster Video last month.
Blockbuster closed in 2019."
It turned out Officer Thompson had been fabricating DUI arrests to collect overtime pay.
He'd target young people without cars, minorities, and anyone who looked like they couldn't fight back.
The city paid him $75 per hour for DUI paperwork and court appearances.
The judge dismissed my case immediately, then ordered every single arrest Thompson had made reviewed by Internal Affairs.
Over 400 fraudulent DUI convictions were overturned.