# What Punishment will the Blade Runner Get? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394 "2013-02-26T01:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/1 "2013-02-26T01:08:25Z")
What Punishment will the Blade Runner Get? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/2 "2013-02-26T01:17:15Z")
[10](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/02/19/oscar-pistorious-hearing-bail-eligibility-south-africa/1931549/) to [13%](http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Concerns-over-conviction-rate-20091014) murder conviction rate? No punishment, he just walks. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/3 "2013-02-26T14:33:54Z")
Or will he run? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/4 "2013-02-26T17:00:18Z")
Bastinado. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/5 "2013-02-26T17:22:54Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > [10](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2013/02/19/oscar-pistorious-hearing-bail-eligibility-south-africa/1931549/) to [13%](http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Concerns-over-conviction-rate-20091014) murder conviction rate? No punishment, he just walks. What happens to that rate after it reaches the courts? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/6 "2013-02-26T18:52:57Z")
He’s a detective, taking a long vacation, not a replicant. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/7 "2013-02-26T19:18:24Z")
My vote is a kick in the crotch to people who refer to him as “the Blade Runner”. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/8 "2013-02-26T19:55:47Z")
\*If \*he’s found guilty, he’ll get a substantial prison sentence - 25 years minimum is mandatory for murder. Whether he’ll serve all of it is … less likely. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/9 "2013-02-26T19:59:41Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > My vote is a kick in the crotch to people who refer to him as “the Blade Runner”. “Blade Gunner” is still OK, right? ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/10 "2013-02-26T21:02:04Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > \*If \*he’s found guilty, he’ll get a substantial prison sentence - 25 years minimum is mandatory for murder. Whether he’ll serve all of it is … less likely. It’s only 15, actually, since he’s a first offender. (Unless it’s found to be premeditated - then a life sentence is mandatory). Of course if he only gets convicted of culpable homicide then the sentencing field is wide open. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/11 "2013-02-27T01:22:48Z")
He may get convicted of a lesser charge like manslaughter (or the equivalent in South Africa). The shooting was reckless and stupid even if the jury believes his intruder story. He should get maybe 5-7 years for a shooting like this? Probably would actually serve 3 or 4 years. I just can’t believe this guy purposefully shot the girl after an argument. He doesn’t seem insane or criminal. We’ll never know what happened without witnesses. The jury either believes the intruder story or they have to accept that this guy is a monster. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/12 "2013-02-27T10:59:23Z")
> [@ctnguy](#): > > It’s only 15, actually, since he’s a first offender. (Unless it’s found to be premeditated - then a life sentence is mandatory). Of course if he only gets convicted of culpable homicide then the sentencing field is wide open. Right, but I thought the State was pushing for premeditation - judge can always decide differently I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/13 "2013-02-27T13:57:34Z")
He’ll get a significant sentence. Legally, I don’t think he has a leg to stand on. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/14 "2013-02-27T17:26:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The shooting was reckless and stupid even if the jury believes his intruder story. The case will be decided by a judge. I don’t think South Africa has jury trials. It sounds to me like he has already admitted to the equivalent of manslaughter (the term there is “culpable homicide”), but I don’t feel that we can answer this question because even though we can see the prosecution’s missteps and confusion, we don’t know how much evidence they have to support the theory that he killed her deliberately. If there’s not much evidence, I can imagine the defense using the screwups to get him acquitted. If there is really a lot of evidence supporting the idea that he murdered her I can imagine that outweighing some of these other issues. If not, maybe he gets little or no punishment for shooting her even though he’s admitted he did. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/15 "2013-02-27T18:30:28Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The case will be decided by a judge. I don’t think South Africa has jury trials. [We don’t](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_trial#South_Africa). Generally a good thing, too. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/16 "2013-02-27T22:18:12Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Right, but I thought the State was pushing for premeditation - judge can always decide differently I suppose. Right, but then it’s mandatory life, not 25 years. (Or is a life sentence effectively 25 years?) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/17 "2013-02-28T07:34:47Z")
> [@ctnguy](#): > > Right, but then it’s mandatory life, not 25 years. (Or is a life sentence effectively 25 years?) 25 is the maximum time to serve for [a life sentence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_imprisonment_in_South_Africa) before you _must_ get a parole hearing. And generally, that effectively makes life sentences = 25yr sentences for all but the worst offenders (like serial killers) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/18 "2013-02-28T12:29:10Z")
I think he’ll get off just like OJ. And when I say just like OJ I mean the exact same tactic. As a big famous and adored national hero, and living in an expensive, gated community, I’d wager he’s got some connections on the police force. The kind where they let him get by with a lot as they like the connection to fame. When this leads to him thinking he can get away with anything, they are in the somewhat compromised position of being guilty of not perusing his other infractions. Either feeling forced to, or volunteering a solution, the cops offer up, for the investigation a cop who is inches away of being tossed off the force for one more infraction in a long list of disciplinary actions. The rich, famous guy offers a whack of money, to the about to be disgraced and fired from the force, cop. In exchange the force makes sure that the core cop is a bad cop. They make sure crime scene is compromised, the police work so faulty, a reasonable doubt cannot be avoided and everyone can blame bad police work, one bad cop, since reprimanded and thrown off the force. (Which was going to happen anyway!) I think that’s how OJ did it and I think that’s exactly how this will play out. As soon as they removed, and publicly disgraced the original lead cop, it was the very first thing I thought of! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-punishment-will-the-blade-runner-get/651394/19 "2013-02-28T13:44:15Z")
I voted other. I think he will be found guilty but I am not familiar with the law in SA so I can’t make a guess as to the sentence. I’ll defer to MrDibble on that.