Posted on 02/15/2006 1:24:33 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
If lawyer dies, Cheney could face negligent homicide charges
02/15/2006 02:42:17 PM
DALLAS (AP) -- If the man wounded by Dick Cheney dies, the vice president could -- in theory at least -- face criminal charges, even though the shooting was an accident.
Dallas defense attorney David Finn, who has been a state and a federal prosecutor, said Wednesday that a Texas grand jury could bring a charge of criminally negligent homicide if there is evidence the vice president knew or should have known "there was a substantial or unjustifiable risk that his actions would result in him shooting a fellow hunter."
"The risk must be of such a nature and degree that it got to be pretty outrageous -- that a reasonable person would have to say, `I am not pulling the trigger because this other guy might be in front of me,"' Finn said. *
The charge carries up to two years behind bars, but with no previous felonies Cheney would be eligible for probation, the former prosecutor said.
Mark Skurka, first assistant district attorney of the three-county area where the shooting took place, said prosecutors did not have an investigation under way.
"If something unfortunate happens, then we'll decide what to do, then we'll decide whether we're going to have an investigation or not," Skurka said.
Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old lawyer, was struck in the face, neck and chest with shotgun pellets over the weekend while Cheney was shooting at quail. Whittington suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a pellet traveled to his heart.
But on Wednesday, hospital officials said he had a normal heart rhythm again and was sitting up in a chair, eating regular food and planned to do some legal work in his hospital room. Doctors said they are highly optimistic he will recover.
In the only other case of someone being shot by a vice president, Aaron Burr was indicted on murder charges in New York and New Jersey for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, but he was never tried and finished out his term in office.
Cheney is fortunate to have enemies as idiotic and disgusting as the DC press corps.
Yes, and if my Aunt had balls, she'd be my Uncle.
If pigs had lips they still couldn't whistle. If liberals had a brain they would still be dumb.
We know what she is about.
On a note to make her furious, read the last item on James's page-- WebMD discusses a pregnancy as a baby not a fetus. Woo hoo!
The Death Watch continues.
"In theory at least." Ha. "In theory at least," I could've met and bedded a supermodel at some point during my not-very-misspent youth, but it didn't happen.
These people are ghouls.
}:-)4
.....this whole thing is overdone....such a piece of "non-news". Who cares? The liberal press are so desperate for something, anything.....
From the President down to his Press Secretary, they've been taking too much sh*t from the MSM, Kennedy, Reid, and the rest of the cabal of creeps.
Will they EVER lash back with a vengence??
Gregory's @ss oughta be in a sling and permanently taking notes from the only place he belongs -- from inside a van down down by the river.
"If I hit the Powerball tonight, I'll be on a warm beach by the weekend." Why so long?
Man comes home and tells his wife, "I won the Lottery. Pack your bags."
"Great," she says. "Should I pack winter or summer clothes?"
"Pack 'em all," he says. "I want you out of the house within the hour."
hummm...good for PR, would 'humanize' Cheney to the press. And it wouldn't hurt for the MSM to see how a real, grown up man goes about his day!
AMEN, brother!
Just went back and read that....thanks!
Absolute NUTS.......
When this man dies in 20 years at age 98
Actually, this guy has lived past the average for a U.S. male. So if he dies tomorrow, it could be natural causes, but the press will blame the pellet.
Maybe he's working on his lawsuit against Cheney! (DU Moonbat dream).
I heard this this morning. The reporter was practically peeing his pants!
If (AP) dies, Cheney could add 2 years to his life.
That would have been the case had Cheney's people handled the incident correctly, which is what they get paid to do. They did not, and what could have been a story with no legs is now a story about the story, feeding on itself.
Bad error in judgement by Cheney's people.
Most of them don't even bother to hide their liberal bias anymore.
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