Believe me, I agree. I make my living trying to establish somebody’s fault for “accidents.” [we prefer calling them “collisions.”] I was just relaying my perception of part of the reason prosecution is sometimes denied in MVA cases where someone dies or is seriously injured.
You might not think so if you read it every day, but they do have their moments, I have to admit.
This isn’t cut and dried for me - I’d have to know more about what this guy’s life has really been for all these years, how much fear he really experienced (“apprehension of apprehension”, in that Asimov time-machine story), how culpable he really was in the death.
They probably are also dead by now.
Plus he was sentenced to, and was serving, five years probation for the manslaughter. The twenty years was for buying a car during that probation.
Therefore the family already had justice: he wasn’t given the twenty years as punishment for the killing.
I read this thread before any posts were made, and I was contemplating writing “I wonder how long before someone comes along and defends this guy, and says he should be allowed to remain free.”
Third post (I assume UncleRojelio’s is a joke). Is that a record?
Maybe we need a thread “Where do you depart the mainstream Straight Dope Message board attitude?” Because this guy needs to go back and finish his sentence.
You’re seeing a reaction to the over-incarceration bent of the US over the past 4 decades.
Personally, I don’t approve of people escaping from custody. However, I also object to long prison sentences where it isn’t necessary.
Not entirely.
The driver wasn’t drunk or high, but he was nearing a stope at the end of a bridge here in town. He looked down to put in a CD in the car player, and that took his attention off of the road. Looked up and there’s my dad, on his motorcycle. Dude braked but struck my father, propelling him into the truck my dad was following. Dad didn’t die immediately, he was conscious long enough, after help arrived, to complain of pain in his back. He had severe injuries and died of blood loss. Even if the surgeon could have saved his life he would have been an invalid.
I hope the CD was worth it.