Supreme Court allows probation for repeat drunk driving offender despite prior three community service sentences.

The Supreme Court of Finland allowed the imposition of probation for a defendant convicted of serious drunk driving, despite the defendant having received three prior community service sentences within eight years. The defendant argued that the statutory discretion to choose the penalty type should preclude probation given the high frequency of previous offenses. The court ruled that the discretion allows for probation even in cases of repeated violations, provided the specific circumstances justify it.