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Ozzy Osbourne DUI Defense: Rocker's Music Made Man Drive Drunk?

By Jason Beahm on January 07, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Here's a novel DUI defense: "Ozzy Osbourne and his music made me do it."

Ozzy Osbourne, also known as the Prince of Darkness, is no stranger to controversy. He has bit off the heads of both a dove and a bat. He has been accused of encouraging suicide and Satan. But now he is being accused of something strange even by his standards: making music that causes another person to drive drunk. Call it the Ozzy Osbourne DUI defense, or the "Ozzy Defense."

William Liston of Aurora, Ohio, was arrested Christmas Eve in suburban Cleveland after allegedly driving erratically and aggressively, at one point forcing an SUV off the road. Frank Klarich spotting Liston on the road, and called 911. "His head was bouncing around and he was losing consciousness the whole time he was driving," he told Fox 8 News of the Ozzy Osbourne DUI defense. Upon being pulled over, Liston was also found with a bottle containing four different kinds of prescription pills. (I wonder if Ozzy made him take those as well?)

Driving under the influence, or DUI, is a criminal charge for operating a motor vehicle while impaired by the effects of alcohol or other drugs. Different states use different names, including, "driving while intoxicated (DWI)," "operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI)." There are also drunk driving laws extending to a number of different vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, snowmobiles, ATVs, motor homes and in some states even lawnmowers and bicycles.

The laws and penalties vary by state but generally the state law makes it unlawful for an individual to operate a motor vehicle if the driver's ability to operate the vehicle according safely is impaired by the effects of drugs, alcohol, prescription medication or over-the-counter medications; or if the driver's intoxication level is above the blood alcohol level of 0.08.

There are many defenses available to a charge of DUI that an experienced attorney can use to get the charges reduced or dismissed. While the Ozzy Osbourne DUI defense may be unique, it has no chance of succeeding. Unless, it is perhaps combined with another defense, like, oh say, insanity?

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