Ray Ludenia wrote:
>
> Julia Thompson wrote:
>
> > Kevin Tarr wrote:
> >
> >> Some people on this list consider drunk driving to be a horrible crime that
> >> isn't punished harshly enough. (I'm not one of them.) At least he wasn't
> >> caught legally gambling, the republicans would really howl over that!
> >
> > IMO, it isn't punished harshly enough when it leads to death,
> > dismemberment or disfigurement.
>
> I must disagree somewhat with this view. I have never understood why people
> advocate much harsher penalties when this happens. Two drivers equally under
> the influence (all other factors being equal) should face the same penalty.
> Just because one is "unlucky" to have a bad accident, he should be hammered,
> whereas the one not involved should get off lightly? To me, they appear
> equally culpable. If anything, the killer is worse off because he has to
> live with what he did.
>
> Regards, Ray.
>
> PS: By same penalty, I mean they both should be hammered.
Sure, hammer them both.
But the cases I'm familiar with in which someone driving drunk killed,
maimed or disfigured someone else, the punishment was not harsh enough,
IMO.
And in those cases you're more likely to get a jury willing to throw the
book, or as much of it as they're allowed to, at the perpetrator.
The most extreme position I've ever taken is that in a very specific set
of circumstances, the perp should just be taken out behind the
courthouse and shot once a guilty verdict is in.
The set of circumstances in question:
1) The accused must have had a prior DUI conviction
2) leading to the suspension of the accused driver's license
3) and must have been driving without a licence
4) under the influence
5) and killed someone in the process.
With all of that, unless you can guarantee you lock them up for life,
they have, IMO, demonstrated that they cannot live in a society with
automobiles without being a threat to the lives of others, and so should
be permanently removed from that society.
But that position is probably considered extreme by most people.
Julia
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