Sorry about the death of your friend. The only way to change the system is to get involved.
http://www.blacknailbrigade.org/
http://abatesc.com/web/

 

AMEN !!!!!

I read every post (I usually try to, anyway).
I too, want to extend prayers and sympathy to you, and his family.
What a tragedy.

I also agree with those who are SCREAMING WTF, Chuck ???
Janklow came up in one of the posts. He 'walked'. His traffic/driving record is WORSE than any gang banger you can imagine.
The rookie cop in S. St. Paul who turned left from the right lane and ran over and killed a biker. He 'walked', only to get caught within 6 mths, DUI, and his license WAS SUPPOSED to have been revoked. "Computer" glitch. Again, he 'walked'.

Unfortunately, what jail space we have available, which by the way, exceeds almost ANY other country on earth, is plugged plum full of low level, street drug dealers and a chit pot full of users.
That's a collective choice of society.
There is NO ROOM for 'violent' offenders. Or, they are released WAY EARLY to "make room". Let alone, 'these' offenders of this post.
And who amongst you is more than willing to call your pols and tell 'em to UP your taxes a chit potfull, to build even MORE space ????

Just a ?, folx. Just a ?.
IF I had ALL the answers, do you really think I'd be typing this, here ????

Guess I am prepared to rethink our "justice" and penal system.
No offense, and I sure as heck do not wanna start a 'range war' here, but what the H*LL we are doing, is POSTED ABOVE !!!!!!!!! Is IT working for you folx ???? Sure as H*LL isn't for this ol' cowboy.
Peshally if it were MY family, or friend, being 'posted about' like this.



.

 

Someone above mentioned the VOTE power. Not much satisfaction, or ease of your loss, BUT it can help toward fair treatment in the future. The DA wimped on this one to insure an easy conviction to show at reelection. The judge should have steamrollered that decision...but not familiar enough to know he had the right to do so. I always thought some type of involuntary manslaughter charge was generally appropriate....ratchet up from there when driving impaired or clearly distracted. The driver will suffer more with the memory than we could punish. Civil court MIGHT provide compensation but does NOT serve as punishment...just retribution. The low charge will sway the award downward in civil court as well I wouyld guess anyway.

15 years ago I was crossing a street on foot, in the crosswalk, with the light in my favor, two lanes of traffic for waiting, one lane was stopped and yielding to me before turning right, one lane open...OK here she comes up to the 3-4 stopped cars and swerves into clear lane and picked me off. 2 Broken wrists (not successful in stopping her nearly new full size pickup with my hands), broken foot, badly twisted neck...miracle it did not break really, and 4 ribs pushed out of my backbone by my own wrists hitting ribcage. 7 months of rehab 3 hours 3 times a week, 1 hour per day at home, pain management 5 months, I am a pilot and could not fly for 8 months. She was charged and convicted for the failure to stop on red before right turn AND no insurance. What made me really unhappy was that as I was being secured in the ambulance she was allowed to DRIVE away her uninsured truck...
come on....how about at least an impound lot for a few weeks awaiting court action? I received insurance help from MY auto policy and as a long time employee the company took good care of me AFTER a Workman's Comp hearing in MY favor...so I broke almost even moneywise. I considered a civil action and probably could have won her pickup, which was about all she had...and it only had 43 payments left. I did not think a charge such as Attempted Murder fit, which is why I belabored you with my tale of woe...but there had to be a more charge/consequence available just as in the case here in the thread..

I consider myself blessed at not being killed (YEAH, I KNOW, NO RELIGION ALLOWED) but sure think the victim has to be considered when the driver is clearly responsible, whether on a bike, walking, in a cage or big semi. Make noise, threaten not only your VOTE but going very public and gaining support for removal or election process. Local news loves this sort of article to fire up the reader/watcher. You cannot bring a friend back but may save someone who matters to someone. John

 

I am sorry for your loss.
At the end of the page of post was an advertisement for Attorneys to handle DUI's, that is a shame, but the way things are, if you got the money you can pay out of most charges.

 

Just a little update to hit on some above points. The driver was talking on a cell phone at the time, no skid marks but no abs brakes either ( driving a pick up ). The only thing you could see was the front wheel of the bike from under the truck. Yes from what I hear her daddy has money.

What gets me is there's a guy in the midwest you is serving 8 years in jail for involuntary manslaughter because his toyota took off and he hit another car. HE wasn't on a phone just the brakes.

 

It is hard to judge fairly, and depends on which side of the fence you started at.

I have a 17 year old who got his drivers license yesterday (yeah, he is not supposed to answer his phone while driving, etc).

If my kid was riding a motorcycle and got run-over by someone, I'd want that someone to hang.

If my kid was driving and made the horrific mistake of running someone over, would I want him in prison with gang-bangers? Not bloody likely.

The judge has to be neutral and unbiased. That's what we pay him to do.




I also have a 16 year old daughter who likely won't see a steering wheel til she's 18. LOL

 

Well, all I can say is the next guy who hits me..if one does will be getting a different brand of justice after business hours.

 

You gonna beat the crap out of an 18 year old girl? (OP's criminal).

Bad for the families on both sides of this horrific issue.
Innocent man is dead.
18 year old kid gotta live with emotional crap the rest of her life.
Both families are badly scarred.
Both families had big trauma.

If anybody needs to rally for anything, they need to rally for preventing these things from happening in the first place.

 

A good friend of mine has a daughter who was a passenger in a car (driven by her girlfriend) around 5 - 6 years ago. She thought it was clear to pull away from a stop sign and was hit by a minivan. The minivan flipped, killing the driver.
The driver that was killed turns out to be the kids best friends mom.
She killed her best friends mom! Can you imagine how that would play on your mind????

The passenger (my buddy's kid) just recently was brave enough to start driving again. Emotional toll so big, and she was only the passenger.

Now imagine how the driver must feel?

Ain't no picnic, regardless of legal penalties!

 

Sorry for your loss.

Here in the great city of Mobile, AL, we have just sworn in a new police chief. During his speech, he stated that one of his priorities was to better inforce traffic laws. The public, after hearing this, quickly started writing letters, calling the "sound off" and making posts about how he should be concentrating on the "real criminals".

My point in this is, How many are killed or maimed on the nations highways every day by these that see the traffic laws as for stupid, old, nerds, whimps, etc........? And yes, riders/bikers, cagers and truckers (some, not all) have the same attitude.

No, I'm not the perfect driver/rider, but I try to obey the laws as best I can.

Think about it.

Hope this hasn't rambled too much.