Driver gets maximum penalty (killed newlyweds on motorcycle)

Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | Wednesday, September 29, 2004 | James F. McCarty

[Bikers4Bush]

Not true. This woman never once apologized for what she did. She showed absolutely no remorse at any point for what she did.

That's the reason she got the max.

[reagan_fanatic]

She may have gotten the maximum penalty allowed by law, but it still seems woefully inadequate for taking the lives of two innocent people. With good behavior, I wonder how many years she'll really serve?

[Smokin' Joe]

I'm not so sure: Ohio is pretty rough on traffic cases. They used to produce the movies we saw in driver's ed (Blood on the Highway, etc.).

IMHO, this woman at 285 lbs had to consume a minimum of a 12 pack or equivalent to get to a BAC of .20

Apparently, the judge knows not only the Widmark formula, but BS too.

[mamalujo]

good behavior... by a criminal; I will ponder that over my 2nd cup of coffee.

[TigersEye]

the 5-foot, 285-pound woman to explain

That's not a height measurement it's a diameter.

[tom h]

"One of the local AM talk radio personalities is calling this decision blatent racism. A white male was sentenced for 6 years for a similar crime at the same time. I can't speak to the different sentences, only the judges would have that information. What is upsetting is someone on the radio spouting such garbage without regards to the effects such statements would have. "

Read the link to the other incident. The fellow was no doubt guilty but in court he expressed his remorse sincerely.

The woman in the above case claimed she was innocent.

Her weight and appearance might have had an impact. If she showed up snarly, nasty, unreprentant, and fat to boot in front of me, I would've given her a harsher sentence, also.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Her weight and appearance might have had an impact. If she showed up snarly, nasty, unreprentant, and fat to boot in front of me, I would've given her a harsher sentence, also.

I'm glad that she received a long sentence, but her appearance has nothing to with it- merely that she was a drunk driver who killed 2 people.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Well, I ain't no expert, but I know that it takes a lot more than three drinks to pickle a hog of that size.

LOL. It would also take a lot more than three drinks to ease her pain if she happened to see herself in a mirror on the way into the bar.

[tom h]

"I'm glad that she received a long sentence, but her appearance has nothing to with it- merely that she was a drunk driver who killed 2 people."

In the real world, appearance counts. It shows respect even amid the slovenliness of today's America, it matters. Why do you think Scott Peterson wears a suit each day to court? Why did Elian Gonzalez' father -- who probably didn't own a suit in Cuba -- wear one every day, in the humid Florida climate, when he was trying to reclaim his son?

Because appearance does matter. It shows sincerity, respect, propriety, etc. In the above situation, I was (perhaps unfairly) ascribing to the woman in question that, because she was unrepentant, her appearance matched her attitude.

My children are not allowed to get on a plane wearing jeans or flip-flops. They wear traditional clothing (not T-shirts) to church each Sunday. In their closet each year they have dress shoes, not just lots of sneakers. And my wife and I dress the same. We know they will be better off having learned the value of appearance.

[RamingtonStall]

Perhaps she meant to say 3 Fifths?

RamS