Today I sat in Court and was appalled and stunned by a decision made by Judge Robert Jackson.A year and a half ago my girlfriend and I were riding our motorcycle following all the rules of the law including helmets and not at all speeding. We had not been drinking or under any other influence.
We were in an accident caused by a drunk driver. I was driving the motorcycle and had no responsibility for the accident and this was confirmed by the police report.
My girlfriend was in a coma and has since recovered but due to a brain injury she is unable to work, possible ever again. I received multiple orthopedic injuries in which both of us are effected for life.
Today Judge Jackson saw fit to give the 20 year old high school educated drunk 2 years probation. What was Judge Jackson thinking? 2 years probation for destroying the lives of 2 people and almost killing both of us?
I can only hope and pray that one day soon Judge Jackson will come to realize what a huge mistake he has made. I am personally convinced that Wicomico County & Salisbury are now like the old west. Anything goes any more. Crime, Graffiti, Political Corruption and so many worry recently about the Worcester County drunk driving incident. We almost died and the criminal gets off scott free.
Wicomico County & Salisbury need a good enema.
Rick Uhrin
Salisbury, MD.
Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteWhat a travesty of justice.
If it was the guys's first offense, what did you expect? Very few judges give active jail time for a 1st. offense DWI, your injuries notwithstanding.
ReplyDeleteIf the judge had give him 10 years in jail, it would not make your injuries heal quicker.
If he was charged with 902-a, AND he was a first offender, the most he could have gotten was 1 year.
Why should the punishment be different just becasue there was a crash? If a cop had caught him during a routine traffic stop the (same) judge would have given him the same sentence.
Your remedies are in civil court.
So... if I carry a gun (for the first time) and shoot you with it I'm only accountable for carrying it?
ReplyDeletebury_voter and iyeska
ReplyDeleteApples and oranges.
The CRIME was DWI. PERIOD
Had the guy been driving drunk and used his vehicle to assault the victim. Then the analogy would be correct.
The crimes are:
DWI
DWI (Assault by Motor Vehicle)
Wear/Carry Handgun
Assault w/ a Deadly Weapon
[Various iterations on the crime of Assault-depending on the facts of the case]
In your example you chose to add the crime of assault by M/V when that was not the charge, and compare that to Wear/Carry AND Assault with Intent.
Hells Bells, why didn’t you add rape and kidnapping in as well to make it look REALLY bad.
The FACT is, [that the law concerning sentencing] on a simple straight forward DWI charge makes no provision for any non-fatal injuries sustained.
I am NOT saying I agree with it, but from a judge’s point of view he/she must be consistent. E.G. It WOULD be appropriate for the judge to stray from his usual sentence if the defendant was found to be driving drunk through a school zone or driving drunk at 90 MPH through a 35 MPH residential zone. These extenuating facts make what he DID worse, as opposed to what happened.
Have a relative that was almost killed by a drunk driver too. Effects every part of his life. The driver got a slap on the wrist and my cousin got next to nothing for what it did to him. PLEASE elaborate on just who wins here? How much do attorneys get out of all this? Seems to me, the attorneys are the only ones making out like bandits in all this.
ReplyDeleteSo Hadleyvrootsendale, will the attorney take any civil action wins? If so what portion? Looks to me like another chance to bleed some more money out of the people that were the real victims.
Cudda
ReplyDeleteDo you expect the lawyer to work for FREE???
The way our laws are written, the proper venue for the victims is civil court.
Suppose the driver had not been drunk, but merely inattentive (talking on the cell, or tuning the radio, or whatever.)
The crash happens, injuries are the same, wuold you want the judge to put the driver in jail for a year? How would that make the victim(s) whole again?