The judge said it would serve no purpose to send the old coot to prison.
How about PUNISHMENT!!!!!
Stupid judge.
So, "just don't do it again, old timer!"
Is this judge related to Edward Cashman in VT who figured punishing a child molester would serve no purpose?
it is far more complicated than just that,
this is not TV.
If this old man has a true physical ailment (if it was just mental he would be going to a mental facility)
"... Weller's health problems including severe heart disease would make him a burden on prison authorities and taxpayers, and that imprisonment would most likely kill Weller."
Now he is NOT a burden to the tax payers,
His conviction IS admissible for purposes of summary judgment in a civil trial,
AND
while alive he can be ordered to redo his life insurance beneficiaries if the law allows.
Plus probation is no cake walk. If he has the restrictive monitoring probation of the house arrest type, one little mis step and he is toast.
The fox article does not say the probation rules.
For murder they must be draconian.
Five years probation. Let's see: That's one year probation for each two people killed. The maimed and injured need to be contented with his "hollow apologies" (per the judge) which he did not even offer personally to them, just as required in court.
Meanwhile, you have got people in prison for possessing one joint or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time...
His attorney would appeal and he'd be dead before anything happened. But who'd be punished? The taxpayers of LA who'd have to bear his medical costs if he did do time. This is just one of those hopeless lose-lose situations.
Seniors should be given a behind-the-wheel road test at least once a year to prevent exactly this type of scene that happens entirely too often, alas, with far less damage in most cases.