A law intended to crackdown on minors driving drunk is in jeopardy following a state appellate court ruling. The appeals court in Kansas City reversed a 1998 Gentry County ruling that stripped Jimmy Ballard of his driver’s license. Ballard, 20 at the time, was stopped for squealing his tires, then found to have a blood alcohol content well above zero tolerance limit for minors of .02. The appeals court ruled police needed a better reason than squealing tires to stop Ballard. State Rep. Craig Hosmer of Springfield, sponsor of the 1996 zero-tolerance law, says a change could be made in the legislative session next year, but thinks lawmakers might want to wait and see if first the Supreme Court takes up the issue.
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