You've probably heard about the rich kid in Texas who essentially skated on stealing beer, getting overly intoxicated and killing four people with his dad's truck (and completely paralyzing his friend). There has been outrage in the press and elsewhere.
First off, the juvenile court system is supposed to focus not just on retribution, but also on saving kids, to try and straighten them out. Depending on the state, when a minor commits a serious felony, there is a hearing, commonly called a bind-over hearing, to determine whether or not to try the kid as an adult or a juvenile. That, as was in this case, is often a matter for plea bargaining. Which brings me to...
Second, nobody working in the system's machinery rooms wants trials. Trials are costly and they are public crapshoots. And third....
Does anyone not doubt that a defendant who can afford a pricey legal team* and psychologists to invent new syndromes will fare better than one who is represented by either an overworked public defender or appointed counsel, who is getting paid pretty much peanuts?
Other than the term "affluenza", why the shock? Does anyone doubt that a poor or working class person who pulled the stunts of a certain actress would have been sent off to prison? How many banksters were sent to prison for looting the economy?
Frankly, I'm pretty much shocked that there is astonishment over this case.
___________________________________
* To quote Justice Scalia: "I don't want a lawyer who's competent. I want a lawyer who will get me off."
A blog by a "sucker" and a "loser" who served her country in the Navy.
If you're one of the Covidiots who believe that COVID-19 is "just the flu",
that the 2020 election was stolen, or
especially if you supported the 1/6/21 insurrection,
leave now.
Slava Ukraini!
Sunday, December 15, 2013
4 comments:
House Rules #1, #2 and #6 apply to all comments. Rule #3 also applies to political comments.
In short, don't be a jackass. THIS MEANS YOU!
If you never see your comments posted, see Rule #7.
All comments must be on point and address either the points raised in the blog post or points raised by commenters in response.
Any comments that drift off onto other topics are subject to deletion.
(Please don't feed the trolls.)
中國詞不評論，冒抹除的風險。僅英語。
COMMENT MODERATION IS IN EFFECT UFN. This means that if you are an insulting dick, nobody will ever see it.
The deal, as I understand it, is that we'll all pretend to be equal under the law, as long as the rich don't rub our faces in it. This case broke the deal.
ReplyDeleteWe also have opportunities for volunteers to become protagonist of a morality play, as long as they sell magazines and bring in page views.
Note the defense did NOT bring up "affluenza", it was a passing comment by a single "expert" that the media jumped on...not really surprised, are we?
ReplyDeleteYou should see the comments in the media down here...parents should be in jail too, etc. I'm not condoning the sentence, but after looking into it I see how it was a viable choice, heavily influenced by his parents money.
BTW, it happened just about 300 yards from the county line...300 yards further south and the sentence might have been even lighter as his parents business is in that county (revenues of about $15 million and 30+ employees). Others suggested a harsher sentence would have occurred in a more rural county court, but I gotta think the parents have connections there.
That Justice Scalia case is an eye opener. Who drug him out from under his rock?
ReplyDeleteCP88, true, but the same thing essentially was true for the "Twinkie Defense."
ReplyDelete