Alcohol-Free Bars, Part II

Fairfax County, Virginia's crackdown on "public drunkenness," which involves hauling out bar patrons--at random, by some accounts--for impromptu Breathalyzer tests, has inspired some healthy outrage. "Public drunkenness is not the same thing as some arbitrary standard that applies to operating a motor vehicle," says Richard Berman, a lawyer representing bar and restaurant owners. "This is ridiculous. And this is not the way the public ought to have its tax dollars spent. This is not the way it ought to have its police officers deployed." In an op-ed piece in today's Washington Times, former congressman Bob Barr compares Fairfax County police to the "precrime" unit in Minority Report, arresting people for offenses (in this case, driving while intoxicated) they might commit in the future. The police say they are reviewing the strategy.