Driver Sentenced in Cyclists Deaths

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  kjrunnin Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  Getting off easy here. The most recent sentencing outrage: in the fall of 2016, a driver crossed the centre line and plowed into a group of cyclists (including the son of a friend of mine) on the shoulder, on the other side of the road. That's right, not from behind. He drove into them on the other side of the road. Several were injured, one cyclist died.
  
  Last month, he received his punishment: an $1800 fine and a one year driving ban. Disgusting.
  
  http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/family-of-dead-cyclist-appalled-that-accused-gets-fine-and-driving-ban

  

  
  
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  Jennifer Post Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  I think most punishments I've seen are insignificant. One of the worst stories I've read about was in Boulder. The DUI-driving piece of trash pled to vehicular homicide and got max 12 years sentence but still just a sliver of what she deserves in my opinion. Her family testified that she was a kind and caring Christian and the judge should sentence her to the low-end of the sentencing range.
  
  "Police said the results of a blood test showed Kuhasz had a blood-alcohol level of 0.148 three hours after the crash. The test also indicated metabolites of cocaine and THC, which indicated Kuhasz had used the drugs at some time before the crash.
  
  Kuhasz was still on probation for driving while ability impaired in Boulder in March 2016 and also had two other prior alcohol-related arrests — one for DUI and one for public intoxication."
  
  dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_30848229
  

  
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  Mark_after_Dark Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Rooster Endurance Officers, POTM

  June 2018

  Jennifer Post said:

  I think most punishments I've seen are insignificant. One of the worst stories I've read about was in Boulder. The DUI-driving piece of trash pled to vehicular homicide and got max 12 years sentence but still just a sliver of what she deserves in my opinion. Her family testified that she was a kind and caring Christian and the judge should sentence her to the low-end of the sentencing range.
  
  "Police said the results of a blood test showed Kuhasz had a blood-alcohol level of 0.148 three hours after the crash. The test also indicated metabolites of cocaine and THC, which indicated Kuhasz had used the drugs at some time before the crash.
  
  Kuhasz was still on probation for driving while ability impaired in Boulder in March 2016 and also had two other prior alcohol-related arrests — one for DUI and one for public intoxication."
  
  dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_30848229
  

  
  I just happened to be riding in Boulder and rode past this minutes after it happened. Only one ambulance on the scene and no police, and the paramedic doing chest compressions as he laid motionless on the road. His friend stood nearby watching his friend die.
  
  Not something I will ever soon forget. Fuck that bitch.

  
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  Jennifer Post Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  Wow. So horrible. I would be haunted by that image for life.
  
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  KHilgendorf Member, Rooster Endurance Member, POTM

  June 2018

  I have trouble thinking the sentence isn't enough. She entered prison at 25-26 and will spend 1/3 of her life there before getting out. She'll be a hugely different person at 37, especially after her experiences inside. Is she an immature piece of shit? Yes. Will she be when she gets out? Who knows.
  
  But the purpose of prison is not incarceration, it's rehabilitation. Should we punish people for their mistakes? Should we completely ruin them in retribution?

  
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  Matt Member, Administrator, Rooster Endurance Member

  June 2018

  KHilgendorf said:

  
  But the purpose of prison is not incarceration, it's rehabilitation.

  But, cheap free labour and Sessions' stock plans
  
  

  

   
  

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  Mark_after_Dark Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Rooster Endurance Officers, POTM

  June 2018

  KHilgendorf said:

  I have trouble thinking the sentence isn't enough. She entered prison at 25-26 and will spend 1/3 of her life there before getting out. She'll be a hugely different person at 37, especially after her experiences inside. Is she an immature piece of shit? Yes. Will she be when she gets out? Who knows.
  
  But the purpose of prison is not incarceration, it's rehabilitation. Should we punish people for their mistakes? Should we completely ruin them in retribution?

  lol american prisons are meant to rehabilitate
  
  

  
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  M_Ware Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  KHilgendorf said:

  Should we punish people for their mistakes?

  How many mistakes and deaths does one get to make/cause before it becomes premeditated, and not a mistake at all but just putting one’s desire to drink and drive ahead of the value of someone else’s life?
  

  

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  Jennifer Post Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  I tend to look at the wife and young children being left without their dad for 4/5 of their lives vs. white trash Barbie losing 12 years in prison. I am not usually so hard-lined. However, reading witness testimony including the bit about her laughing at the damage done to her car daddy bought her after mowing down someone and leaving him for dead removed any compassion I might have had. Disclaimer: I drove a fancy car too from my parents at that age and managed to not drive drunk multiple times and kill someone and laugh about it.

  
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  KHilgendorf Member, Rooster Endurance Member, POTM

  June 2018 edited June 2018

  My issue with simply throwing away the key on these types of cases is that while you can't replace the life she took, and you can't wipe clean the damage caused to the victim's friends/family, all a long sentence does is ruin another life. If want to give her 50, you may as well push for death. It's effectively the same outcome. And the family won't find peace regardless of the outcome (4 years, 12 years, or life). It's a horrible situation that has no positive outcome, so we need to focus on what we can do to improve the situation for all parties and have a less negative end.

  
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  Jennifer Post Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  I see your point but, sadly, our US prisons aren't about rehabilitation. I think people come out of US prisons usually the same or worse than they went in. I won't lose sleep over this chick with such disregard for other lives not getting out earlier. I think she's likely to drive drunk again if she gets out at 35 or 70.
  
  Instead, I tend to put more efforts towards fighting the racial disparities in incarceration. But, that's a different topic for another day.
  
  #soapbox. I do wish our prisons were focused on rehabilitation. I've actually seen this in practice with success. My degree is in Public Administration from a university in Sweden. We had one Prof in particular that believed we had to get out from our books and theories and see how government agencies were actually managed. One of the areas we focused on was the Swedish prison system. It even included a visit to a prison. It was all rather amazing. The staff to inmate (or "client" as they sometimes call them) was nearly 1:1. Focus really was on rehabilitation through counseling and education. Their living quarters were as nice as our student rooms. Recidivism rate was amazingly low. I recall it being less than half that of US. Rehabilitation can happen in the right system.

  
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  kjrunnin Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  My current binge listening podcast is Ear Hustle. Have you heard of it? It’s recorded at San Quentin and is about life in prison. It’s clear that the US prison system (or justice system) isn’t focused on rehabilitation. Worth a listen.
  
  On the topic of racial disparity, I recommend season 2 of In the Dark.

  
  
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  Jennifer Post Member, Rooster Endurance Member, Level 2 Supporter

  June 2018

  Thanks for the recommendations. I have heard about Ear Hustle. Bits and pieces at least. One story about an inmate was just so sad. It even made me cry. He was going to get a visit from a relative (mom or aunt...can’t remember exactly) and he didn’t know if he would want to hug her or not but the heartbreaking bit was how he didn’t remember how to hug someone.