French courts issue sentences for drug-impaired driving

Two separate legal proceedings in France have resulted in convictions for driving under the influence of narcotics.

In the Rhône department, a 39-year-old man was sentenced by the Villefranche-sur-Saône criminal court after attempting to overtake a plainclothes gendarmerie vehicle while crossing a solid white line. The driver, who stated he was in a hurry to eat pizzas, was found to be under the influence of drugs. He was ordered to pay 1,000 euros in fines and received a nine-month driver's license suspension.

In Orne, a 45-year-old resident of Flers was sentenced by the Argentan court for driving an uninsured vehicle while under the influence of cannabis. The driver was intercepted by gendarmes in Athis-Val-de-Rouvre. Given his extensive criminal record, which includes 16 prior convictions for offenses such as violence and refusing to comply with law enforcement, he was sentenced to 70 hours of community service or three months in prison if the service is not completed.