A woman in Virginia was stopped by police at a DUI checkpoint. When police heard strange noises coming from the woman's trunk, the woman told them she was carrying a goat. Police opened the trunk and found a bound live goat.
This case turns out to have an international aspect. The woman told police that she was getting the goat as a gift for her Kenyan friends. Additionally, the woman told the police that she was a native of the United Kingdom. The driver told police that it is common practice to carry goats in the trunk across the pond.
Notwithstanding the odd goat rescue, DUI checkpoints are controversial. Criminal defense lawyers, civil libertarians, and people who generally don't like to be stopped by the police typically oppose DUI checkpoints as an invasion of privacy. Law enforcement, prosecutors, and organization such as MADD typically support DUI checkpoints as a way to deter drunk driving.
The federal constitution does not prohibit DUI checkpoints. Therefore, the debate over whether or not to allow them is held at the state level. In the pacific north west DUI checkpoints are unflavored. Neither Oregon nor Washington allows for checkpoints. Anecdotal evidence indicates that transporting goats in trunks is also out of vogue here.
