Motorcyclist gets 30 years for causing trooper's death.
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This is unbelievable! How can you charge a man with manslaughter when all he was doing is being a fool like the rest of us? It is not his fault that the state trooper didn't have the brains to not speed after a motorcycle obviously capable of doing 150 mph. Does this trooper think he was going to be able to catch the motorcycle? But all in all.....30 years is absolutely ridiculous for a man speeding and evading police. Manslaughter? I don't think so.
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This is a sad comment on society.
By definition, a "System" is a group of elements that function together and this shows that there is no Justice System.
If a man commits a murder and has a good lawyer he can be out on parole within a few years and this man got 30 years.
Why not sue the tire manufacturer for building a tire that blew. Why not sue the car manufacturer for building a car that used said tire. Why not sue the municipality for creating a road surface that caused the tire to blow. WHy not sue the police dept for letting this cop drive a car with bad tires. Why not sue Coca Cola for making the can that that may have been on the road where this tire drove onto it and blew. Heck, why not sure the municipality for not cleaning up the road enough...
Don't get me started...
By definition, a "System" is a group of elements that function together and this shows that there is no Justice System.
If a man commits a murder and has a good lawyer he can be out on parole within a few years and this man got 30 years.
Why not sue the tire manufacturer for building a tire that blew. Why not sue the car manufacturer for building a car that used said tire. Why not sue the municipality for creating a road surface that caused the tire to blow. WHy not sue the police dept for letting this cop drive a car with bad tires. Why not sue Coca Cola for making the can that that may have been on the road where this tire drove onto it and blew. Heck, why not sure the municipality for not cleaning up the road enough...
Don't get me started...
Putting all emotion aside for a moment, and concentrating strictly on the manslaughter charge, it is difficult to have an opinion without seeing the specific statute. The elements of the crime of manslaughter in most jurisdictions include some type of language stating that committing any reckless or negligent act that a reasonable person would believe could result in the death of another person would make the defendant guilty of manslaughter. It is similar to the law that most states have that makes a criminal responsible for the death of his partner in crime, even if the person is shot by a victim or police officer during the commission of a felony. Donald Williams had to have known that going 150 MPH on a motorcycle could result in someones death, and besides, it is a police officers job to pursue violators. The only thing that bothers me about this case is that car drivers do this all the time. I knew police officers that were killed pursuing cars in the line of duty, but to my knowledge, none of those drivers were sentenced to 30 years in prison. It kind of feels like another biker getting the shaft.
To say that this angers me would be a gross understatement. A while back another FL Cop shot and killed a Motorcyclist that was "Speeding". He, the Cop, was standing between two parked cars and shot him in the back after he went by. Verdict... self defense. Everythings just peachy in US.
"Manslaughter" generally has nothing to do w/any intention of harm or death. It is, in most jurisdictions, performing an illegal act that leads to a death in one way or another; or it is the performance of a legal act in an illegal manner which leads to a death. Something like that, anyway. It's been a while...
There is still such a thing as personal responsibility. There's some bad luck involved here, no doubt. Nevertheless, the cyclist was showing a blatant, dangerous, above-and-beyond the norm disregard for the law. It resulted in a death. Intention has nothing to do w/it, for better or worse.
Furthermore, while I'm venting, if he, in fact, knew he was being pursued by law enforcement, then 30 years is not long enough (That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it gets my point across nicely.). There is no excuse for running from the police.
Another interesting thing to look at is this: The courts are generally FAR TOO LENIENT in most cases. That is a fact proven over and over again, across the country. If this judge/jury found him "Guilty," surely they had good evidence and cause to do so. It's hard to second guess them when I wasn't there to hear, see, etc. what they did during the trial.
There is still such a thing as personal responsibility. There's some bad luck involved here, no doubt. Nevertheless, the cyclist was showing a blatant, dangerous, above-and-beyond the norm disregard for the law. It resulted in a death. Intention has nothing to do w/it, for better or worse.
Furthermore, while I'm venting, if he, in fact, knew he was being pursued by law enforcement, then 30 years is not long enough (That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it gets my point across nicely.). There is no excuse for running from the police.
Another interesting thing to look at is this: The courts are generally FAR TOO LENIENT in most cases. That is a fact proven over and over again, across the country. If this judge/jury found him "Guilty," surely they had good evidence and cause to do so. It's hard to second guess them when I wasn't there to hear, see, etc. what they did during the trial.
"There is no excuse for running from the police"
Agreed. When I ride, especially when I'm going at a "brisk pace", I am checking my mirrors at every safe opportunity in order to detect anyone that might be trying to sneak up on my tail. My guess is that this guy saw the red lights and hunkered down and then wrung the throttle like there was no tomorrow (which unfortunately is exactly what happened for the FL HP).
Agreed. When I ride, especially when I'm going at a "brisk pace", I am checking my mirrors at every safe opportunity in order to detect anyone that might be trying to sneak up on my tail. My guess is that this guy saw the red lights and hunkered down and then wrung the throttle like there was no tomorrow (which unfortunately is exactly what happened for the FL HP).
so Bill Janklow gets 100 days, and this mofo gets 30 years...
thats f'd up
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/22/janklow.sentencing/
thats f'd up
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/22/janklow.sentencing/
I don't give a rat's fanny if you live in New Orleans, or not. If the police are acting w/in the performance of their duty ("under color of law"), running should be an automatic felony. If you can't live reasonably under the system , get out. It's far from perfect, but it's the system under which you agreed to live. Do what you can to make it better or leave it, but don't try to "live above it."
This picking out specific incidents to justify inexcusable actions is for the birds. Just because someone screwed the pooch in one instance, be it the police, public, or otherwise, is no rationale for poor judgement. "Two wrongs don't make a right," as they used to say.
This picking out specific incidents to justify inexcusable actions is for the birds. Just because someone screwed the pooch in one instance, be it the police, public, or otherwise, is no rationale for poor judgement. "Two wrongs don't make a right," as they used to say.
My question is this. Who did this biker boy have for a lawyer? The same fellow who represented the Rosenbergs?( Edward Kuntz?) This smacks of kangaroo court to me!
This trooper being killed is truly a tragedy, but it happened while he was letting his blue uniformed ego get the better of him. As I understand it, he was violating his departments procedures in chasing the bike! If he had simply done as his orders dictate and used his radio. None of this would have happened!
Yes, the biker was wrong! But how does that justify the police almost killing a third motorist (the 24 year old in the Audi, Thomas Evanchik) that was hit by the trooper during this pursuit?
Marshal Wyatt Erp is back in town folks! Judge Roy Bean was obviously presiding?
This trooper being killed is truly a tragedy, but it happened while he was letting his blue uniformed ego get the better of him. As I understand it, he was violating his departments procedures in chasing the bike! If he had simply done as his orders dictate and used his radio. None of this would have happened!
Yes, the biker was wrong! But how does that justify the police almost killing a third motorist (the 24 year old in the Audi, Thomas Evanchik) that was hit by the trooper during this pursuit?
Marshal Wyatt Erp is back in town folks! Judge Roy Bean was obviously presiding?
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Hmmm... whether running the cops should be a felony or not, is debatable. What is not debatable is that excessive punishments like this are a real threat to everyone. People must expect reasonable sentencing when they screw up. Be that speeding, running the cops, DUI, rear ending, pumping someone off the bridge, driving over a wheelchair or whatever. Life should not be walking a tightrope where a misstep puts you away for 30 years. Like it was in communist Russia or nazi Germany.
- cruiz-euro
- cruiz-euro
.........Another motorcyclist that has to deal with FHP stalking him every day. Oh and I have to go tack on another ticket for no tag light from a frothing at the mouth rookie FHP officer who for some reason may have a serious hard on for motorcyclists now. I ride my bike for work and its getting pretty ridiculous here in Orlando having to deal with some of the officers because of incidents like these. Not saying that 30 years is justified, just *****ing because its stuff like this that makes every FHP officer and his brother follow me for miles on end when I'm riding completely sanely. Nothing like riding in Orlando rush hour traffic worried about that FHP camaro that has been hanging 10 feet behind your rear tire for the last 10 miles.
No need for correction. As I understood it, the commentary was to be on the sentencing of the biker, not on the role of the Trooper. That would be a whole different subject (And one I'm glad to comment on, if you like.). The biker bears responsibility. That's my point.
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Being in a family of lawyers, cops and bondsmen I have this to say. Regardless of circumstance if you evade the police in any situation the cops should have the option to use deadly force to stop you from doing harm to the general public. You may disagree, but as I see it once a cop has to "chase" any person that person should be charged with Felony Evasion. Sorry that the cops equipment failed and he lost his life and I'm equally sorry that the bone head that the cop was chasing was charged with the man slaughter charge and is going to do 30 yrs. However, the motorcyclist was wrong in fleeing and involuntary man slaughter would be the correct end result from such stupidity. The cop should have known that his pursuit vehicle never had a chance at chatching the motorcyclist in a flat out speed contest. Cops mistake. I still stand by my arguement that the motorcyclist do the time, however.
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