90 day sentence????

"Schneider, now 24, was charged with drunken driving homicide. Family connections and politics bounced the case among judges in three counties and to a special prosecutor before he pleaded no contest last month to second-degree reckless homicide."

That is normal? Did you read all the article?????

That line is a bit sensationalized. This happens all the time. Anytime a prosecutor or a judge has some sort of connection to a defendant it is prudent for them to get off the case or recuse themselves. Basic law ethics. For instance I used to work for the County Court Clerk. I had direct dealings with all the judges and a lot of the prosecutors. If I were charged with something they would have to get an out of county prosecutor and judge. 

My wife works for two criminal defense attorneys. She knows and deals with all the criminal judges and prosecutors. They would most definitely have to have a special prosecutor and out of county judge for her case if she had one.

The way it is presented in the article makes it sound like a lot more than it probably was. It is standard practice for anyone who has direct and/or familial ties to the court system. I much prefer this over the alternative of someone getting a special deal because they know someone. 

http://www.pnj.com/article/20130409/NEWS11/130409010/Convicted-drunken-driver-gets-24-years-killing-bicyclist

Drunk driver gets 24 years for killing cyclist

http://www.pnj.com/article/DP/20130328/NEWS01/130328019/Drunken-driving-repeat-offender-convicted-killing-cyclist

Drunk driver get 45 years for killing cyclist

http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130731-rhode-island-judges-sentence-two-drivers-convicted-of-drunken-driving-with-deaths-resulting.ece

Drunk driver get 15 years for killing cyclist

that was a 5 minute Google search, so I don't believe that was a normal sentence or had no political/family favors.

I am not defending it, nor do I think anyone else was defending a light sentence.  Do you speak with your state representatives or senators when they come to your town or city?  Do you write them letters or even send them emails about things that are important to you?

And since I know Tony will turn the question right back to me.  My answer is yet, when they are in town, and I am not at work, I attempt to attend meetings they are in and I do ask them there position on things that are important to me.  I also send letters and emails to let them know how I want them to vote on certain things. 

Nah, I didn't read the article at all....and I'm not going to.  All I'm saying is that there are plenty of cases where someone kills another person while they are DWI....the sentences are ridiculously light in many/most cases of the cases I've been involved in....and if yu are so inclined, go ahead and google light sentences as well.....you'll get a number of hits in the same 5 minutes you already spent.

Defending a light sentence seems the norm now a days.  As most people feel our prisons are already too crowded and so many people are against capital punishment.  Truth is you can't have it both ways.  Guess if we had more money we could build a whole lot of new prisons, hire a bunch of people to run them and just keep all the criminals in jail.  

Guess I'm just rambling now.  I'd love to get rid of the the drunk drivers.  Suprised at how many people are repeat offenders.  This is completely different than someone who makes a mistake and has a non-impaired accident.

That's the beauty of America, everyone is allowed to have an opinion on an article that they don't bother read!

Honestly.....I don't need to read an article about a light sentence for killing someone DWI....that'd just make me mad.  I already know it happens so why look more? 

I don't like cherries.....so when I see some I don't eat them.

I got sick eating them by the sackful as a kid.....you know the drill.

Since alcoholism is a disease, shouldn't the penalty be light?  What would you get if you had coronary disease/heart attack while driving and killed someone?  Or severe asthma attack?

(thought I would add some gas to the fire)...  Kick it around a bit...

Zero is good.

And for the record?  I ate an entire pecan pie when I was a kid and got sick as a dog.  Can't touch it now.

I MAY have come around and can eat it now, but but don't care to even try to test that out.

"Nah, I didn't eat gummi bears, cherries or pecan pie and get sick the article at all....and I'm not going to.  All I'm saying is that there are plenty of treats cases where someone can eat kills another person while they are DWI..."

That was weird.

There are quite a few cases where only probation is handed out.  It's ridiculous.  Our court system seems to like deep remorse.

If you ever want to see someone completely broken.....go watch court proceedings where an alcoholic, who really feels powerless over their addiction, is the defendent.  Next to the sadness that comes with the sudden loss of a loved one to a drunk driver I know of nothing worse to weigh on a person's mind.

I am in no way making an excuse for it or advocating for light sentences.......just an observation I've had a time or two.