Posted on 10/09/2005 5:04:56 PM PDT by Ben Mugged
In what is becoming a familiar scene in courtrooms nationwide, information collected from a cars black box was used to convict a motorist of criminal charges.
On June 30, a Peabody, Mass., District Court jury found Michelle Zimmerman guilty of misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the death of her front seat passenger, Kenneth Carlson. The jury concluded Zimmerman was driving negligently when she skidded out of control and struck a tree on Jan. 4, 2003. Information collected from the event data recorder (EDR), or black box, in her GMC Yukon reported that Zimmerman was driving 58 mph in a 40 mph zoneon an icy road, according to Essex Assistant District Attorney William J. Melkonian. EDR data also showed that Zimmerman never applied the brakes.
Judge Santo Ruma sentenced Zimmerman to two years in prison, one year to be served with the balance suspended for three years of probation. The conviction carries a statutory 10-year loss of license.
Defense lawyer Robert Weiner has vowed to appeal based on his claims that the EDR data was misinterpreted and that police illegally obtained the data. The case could set a legal precedent in Massachusetts and nationwide where EDR information already has been introduced in more than two-dozen cases.
(Excerpt) Read more at abrn.com ...
Is that to imply that driving is a right? I would be interested in seeing that one. Where can I find that? LOL
Your handle, blue state depression, I lived up north before and I know how y'all think. and by the way, been a troll hunter for a while, have a few scalps on my belt, sniff, sniff.
Don't worry. That loophole will get closed. First, require the item on every car. Then, pass a law to suspend a person's license for 6 months if they refuse.
Trust me, that will be next.
Well I live in the flatlands of Illinois. How is it us flat landers think, seeing as how you know and all?
You might very well be a troll hunter but as I said you done missed your mark with a quick assumption about sign up date. But you can choose not to listen and make the same mistake others did.
This is Houston Texas bub, not some nanny socialist town like NO. People work for a livin down here and will defend their own and others if need be. Revenuers tracking down speeders but you can not get them to respond to a burglary. Where first time car thiefs are given mandatory probation, don't even get me started chump.
As funny as it may seem, the 4th and 5th amendments don't magically disappear once you step outside your house. Then again, I suspect, a pesky piece of paper written by dead white males isn't regarded very highly over at DU.
Now that you revealed your residence I can realy understand your state of mind, what a hell hole you live in, glad I left35 years ago. My mother still lives there and the way she thinks is unbelievable.
People work for a livin down here and will defend their own and others if need be
Same can said about us DOWNSTATERS.
Chicago is the "other" Illinois my friend.
You made a mistake partner. you looked at sign up date and my nick and made a judgement about what I am about.
Then you call me a chump.
You show your salt friend, and bitter it is.
You assumed I was a lefty,based on two items, and how wrong you are.
But by all means keep diggin.
same to ya this seems to be just like another thread I was on. Instant DU accusations. You people really should take a bit before you make such snap judgements.
I ask you to show me where the founding fathers had anything to say about VEHICLES. For crying out loud man. Do you really think the founding fathers main goal was to hide all truth?????
Cmon now.
Ok. Much better than automove body repair news.
Hope the outcome is different on appeal (surely she's appealing)
I think this is kind of ironic. I'll bet these boxes were installed to try to protect the auto companies for being blamed for bad drivers--and letting the drivers get sued.
You are the one saying it is a good idea to have black boxes in cars and using them in court cases, you are the one thats wants more gubmint control, typical from illinois. You Got your Illinois government firearms card so you can buy a gun and ammo?
Anything can be disabled.
Don't bother. As soon as he/she used the phrase: "I ask you to show me where the founding fathers had anything to say about VEHICLES.", a variant of, " The Founding Fathers could never have anticipated automatic weapons when drafting the 2nd amendment", it became pretty obvious where the conversation was going.
It's not the system that is making criminals of them, they are making themselves into criminals if they are speeding to the extent that it makes their car uncontrollable and they cause a personal injury accident because of it. Just slow down.
That made her twice as likely to have a crash. This black box helped put the responsibility on the person at fault. That's a good thing.
I have lived in the flat lands of Illinois and I have relatives ther and it makes me want to puke about their views of the constitution.
I said boxes provide truth, I support truth whatever that may be. I guess you don't. Who said anything about Government control? Does the government control the facts? Is that what you think the black boxes are? Why do you fear the truth so much? Courts should be filled with FACTUAL information I am sorry you disagree there. Conserve the facts and present them in a court.
Yes I do have my foid card and yes I do have guns.
If you think I support blagojevich you got another thing coming. If you think i support Dick Turbin or barak osama obama( quick Kennedy dig there) you also have another thing coming......you guys crack me up. you think you know so much when indeed you know very little. Hunt away and waste your arrows. HA HA HA If you think that Illinois is mostly BLUE I suggest you take a look at the county map of the last election.
You will indeed see how RED illinois is ESPECIALLY downstate.( heck, outside chicago!)
Where abouts in the flat lands? Hmmmm? Chicago or Rockford is my bet.
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