Rich Kid Defense...

[Bocefish]

The judge still hasn't sentenced him on the intoxicated assault charges yet, so the prosecution is still trying for jail time... don't hold yer breath.

Karma can be a real bitch and if this kid breaks the law again, which he most likely will, then he can still do the dime.

 

[Sevrin]

A few years ago, a middle class high school kid ran a red light and slammed into a car, killing a teen aged girl. The guy tried to pull the girl out of the burning car, but was too late. The kid had no prior arrests and no tickets. The sentence was 20-25 years in prison because they said he was drag racing and should have known better.

Drag racers get as little sympathy as drunk drivers from me. Hope he enjoys prison. Zoom-zoom.

 

[I_Love_You503]

The concept of 'affluenza' is fucking insulting and does nothing but point to glaring privilege of America's wealthy when it comes to justice. The real question is how being a spoiled brat is an excuse, while growing up in poverty isn't.

You never learned the meaning of consequence because your parents coddled you?
Slap on the wrist.

Someone else never learns the meaning of consequence because their mom is working three minimum wage jobs, their teachers don't care about them, and they grow up in a neighbourhood untouched by basic social services?
Tough shit.

Obviously this isn't to say if you're poor you have no morals, but if affluenza can defend this kid, it has to swing the other way. Not that it does, even remotely.

 

[Bocefish]

What I cannot understand is how this judge does not realize she's only enforcing his parent's epic failures of teaching him how money can fix anything.

I realize the end goal is to produce a productive, law abiding, TAX PAYING citizen, but the likelihood this kid will ruin more people's lives seems far too great given what little we know. There has to be accountability with serious, meaningful consequences for taking 4 innocent lives.

:twocents-02cents:

 

[mellymay]

what bugs me the most is that the same judge sentenced a black man who had a lesser infration to a strict jail sentence.

ugh. sometimes i just want to shake society and be like WAKE THE FUCK UP, HOW IS THIS AT ALL FAIR?

 

[Sevrin]

The judge still hasn't sentenced him on the intoxicated assault charges yet, so the prosecution is still trying for jail time... don't hold yer breath.

Karma can be a real bitch and if this kid breaks the law again, which he most likely will, then he can still do the dime.

Next time, they'll probably try to claim that he wasn't responsible due to the trauma of all the bad publicity he got this time around.

 

[SaffronBurke]

Something similar happened in Iowa a decade or so ago. Forgive the fuzzy details, but my dad told me about it when I was 13. It was the governor's son, and I believe he was an adult at the time. He was drunk driving at a campsite, drove over and killed a few people in the process. He also had a joke of a sentence, if anything was done at all.

The only real difference here is age, which I don't think is much of an excuse. By 16, you should know better than to drive drunk. Poor parenting or peer pressure is no excuse. While prison shouldn't be considered for this case, what he was sentenced to is not remotely sufficient punishment for the crime. He should go to juvie or military school, pay damages to the families, and do a considerable amount of community service. Yes, rehab may be a good idea, but rehab alone isn't going to cut it for this situation.

 

[Sevrin]

Figure this is more of the same, but more disgusting:

Judge said du Pont heir 'will not fare well' in prison

A Superior Court judge who sentenced a wealthy du Pont heir to probation for raping his 3-year-old daughter noted in her order that he "will not fare well" in prison and needed treatment instead of time behind bars, court records show.

Judge Jan Jurden's sentencing order for Robert H. Richards IV suggested that she considered unique circumstances when deciding his punishment for fourth-degree rape. Her observation that prison life would adversely affect Richards was a rare and puzzling rationale, several criminal justice authorities in Delaware said. Some also said her view that treatment was a better idea than prison is a justification typically used when sentencing drug addicts, not child rapists.

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/new ... n/7016769/

In her decision, Judge Jan Jurden suggested Robert H. Richards IV would benefit more from treatment. Richards, who was charged with fourth-degree rape in 2009, is an unemployed heir living off his trust fund. The light sentence has only became public as the result of a subsequent lawsuit filed by his ex-wife, which charges that he penetrated his daughter with his fingers while masturbating, and subsequently assaulted his son as well.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/3 ... 60386.html

 

[PlayboyMegan]

I had a lawyer explain this case to me. I'm not sure if I'm able to repeat what he said (long and big words lol), but legally, what the judge did was right. According to the laws, everything was handled accordingly. However, I don't always agree with the laws. This is one of those times.

 

[curvyredhead]

Add this to my reasons I don't want a child.