“Whether the speed limit is an arbitrary number set to generate revenue or not, the woman exceeded the posted speed limit and an officer lost his life because of her decision and poor driving.”
No, that's not true. The officer lost his life because he stepped out into traffic speeding by at roughly 70 mph. Not a terribly safe thing to do. At least in terms of legal accountability, a grand jury cleared this woman of responsibility of the officer's death.
“If you choose to ignore the posted speed limit (whether you like that posted limit or not) and are involved in a traffic accident due to excessive speed, then you will need to be prepared to accept the consequences.”
The consequences, in this case, were appropriate and proportionate. I don't know whether you realize it or not, but in Maryland, 16 mph over the speed limit isn't even considered a major speeding offense. 1 - 9 mph over the limit is punished by one point on one's license. 10+ mph over the limit is punished by two points on one's license. 30+ mph over the limit where the speed limit is less than 65 mph brings a five point penalty, and 20+ mph over the limit where the speed limit is 65 mph (the artificially and arbitrarily defined upper speed limit in Maryland) brings five points, as well.
Reckless driving brings six points.
Thus, by the STATE'S definition, driving at 71 mph in a 55 mph is a relatively minor traffic infraction.
“MHO, the woman got off way too light.”
It seems that you're the one not entirely prepared to deal with the ACTUAL consequences of this case - that the woman was NOT prosecuted for a felony, that a grand jury did NOT consider her actions even close enough to felonious to warrant the finding of probably cause required to prosecute her, and that her punishment amounted to a $310 fine and likely a couple of points on her license.
I'm fully prepared to accept that as the consequences of this woman's speeding. What about you?
sitetest
On a highway posted for 55 mph, traffic is speeding by at 70+ mph with a know traffic stop at that location and you want to blame the officers who are there to slow down the speeders. Where's does the responsibility for those driving on that roadway lie? If I see up ahead of me that there are highway patrolmen stopping traffic for speeding, I'm going to drive accordingly, aren't you?
In similar cases of this sort in other states the outcome has been different. In CA drivers who are driving above the posted speed limit who then are involved in such an incident are held to a higher standard than what they apparently do where this incident took place. Simply because this one case fell out as it did does not mean that the outcome was appropriate.