Pair get 8 years for serving beer at party

Washington Times ^ | 2-12-03 | Washington Times

[ambrose]

CHARLOTTESVILLE (AP)

[BluH2o]

... if it keeps one of those youth at the party from becoming alcoholic and crashing into yet another youth to the youth's death--the sentence will have been more than just.

This is way to close to liberal speak "If it saves but one life" ... nonsense. An 8 year sentence for both parents is ridiculous in the extreme ...
Something in the realm of 90 days, plus a fine, would be more appropriate.

[B Knotts]

So, who's changed?

CJ and his ilk have always been here. What has changed is the relative absence of the other side, as many/most of them have been banned, or have walked away in disgust.

[Eagle Eye]

I'm surprised that you'd go so easy on these people.

I'd have expected you to demand a SWAT raid, ('gotta crack a few skulls', I think you once said) shoot anyone who didn't freeze quickly enough, then have the state confiscate the entire assets of the family.

Wouldn't that teach'em to have more respect for The Law?

Why do you even want to live in a free country? You sure seem enamored with a strong governing all-mighty State.

[freekitty]

This is absolutely crazy.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I disagree with that. I think the court's position was "if you can't learn from experiences of others. From what goes on around you... then the court system will teach you."

The court's job is to punish, not teach people how to be good. The court is not a parent. You really need a judge to teach you life's lessons?

If most people around here think like you do, no wonder the Drug War is such a raging winner here on Free Republic . . .

"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Soon they will be putting people in jail for exposing teenagers to second-hand smoke. ... Will the same folks cheering this sentence be cheering then as well?

I'll take that bet, you know they will!

On another note, I've never understood why you are allowed to drive before you're allowed to drink. It makes sense to me that you should first learn (if you decide to drink at all) how alcohol affects you before you ever get behind the wheel.

[Cultural Jihad]

What has changed is the relative absence of the other side, as many/most of them have been banned, or have walked away in disgust.

And the stats at Alexa show that the refreshing lack of anarcho-infantilism has greatly improved its visitability.

[PatrioticAmerican]

They served the beer concurrently, why the consecutive order?

[B Knotts]

Hmmm? You and your infantile trolling are still here. Is that's what's drawing people here? I have no particular dog in this hunt, other than being tired of seeing threads unrelated to your drug fixation destroyed by you and Dane.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"I suspect if it keeps one of those youth at the party from becoming alcoholic and crashing into yet another youth to the youth's death--the sentence will have been more than just. "

Then lock up those assault knives that you have in your kitchen, your 5 gallon buckets, and barricade your steps: They kill more children every year than anything else.

If you do not immediately comply, the police will jail you..."if it saves just one life."

[Cultural Jihad]

The good people of Virginia have a toll free number so that out-of-state busy-bodies who can't mind their own business can call in and complain about the way they choose to self-govern themselves there, or if they want to force the good people of Virginia to overthrow a politician, judge, or county official, or install a new one for them, or to overturn a law or write a new one in its stead: Just call 1-800-WHO-CARES.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Post 24

This is BS the judge should be hanged.

Post 28

I don't drink and I think its stupid... however the drinking age is unrealistic and this judge ought to be hanged. Hell in Cape Cod I hosted a part for buddies when my parents were out guess I should get 8 years too.

An 8 year sentence, which is by law a legal prison term for the offense, is too harsh for people endangering children not their own in your opinion.

But a judge handing a sentence you disagree with should be a hanging offense. Right?

[Hemingway's Ghost]

"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

[Cultural Jihad]

And it says right there in black and write: "Nor shall eight years be demanded when only 60 to 80 children's lives are needlessly endangered; rather, 3 or 4 weekends will suffice."

[Jaded]

Agreed. I think the sentence is excessive.

My question is what was the sentence for the "underage children" who were drinking? Do they get a pass because they are high school children and didn't know any better. Heck some of them probably knew the dead girl. Obviously that didn't have any impact on them.

[Askel5]

But just take a look at these Freepers saying **eight years** in the slam is a fair sentence, for serving beer to minors in your own home. Can you imagine that happening, three or four years ago? Do you remember how much we used to collectively revile that kind of authoritarian goosestepping mindset? So, who's changed? Gladdened to see a few posters of principle have stepped up to the plate to call this outrage for what it is,

There's at least a handful still running around here.

Eight years is not so long as "Banning" goes.

[Brookhaven]

If somebody'd gotten hurt at this party, but then if somebody'd gotten hurt, they'd be facing a lot more serious charges.

Two cases:

• A kid at the party gets drunk, crosses the center line driving home, hits a car head on killing himself and the driver of the other car.
• A kid at the party gets drunk, crosses the center line driving home, but no one is comming in the other direction, there is no accident and the driver makes it home alive.

The actions of the parents that gave him the beer are the same in both circumstances. Why should the punishment be less or more depending on a quirk of fate (the car comming in the other direction.)

I usually fall on the side that the person drinking is responsible for themselves (including knowing how much they can drink without being impared.) However, when you give beer to a minor, you are giving it to someone that, by definition, is not capable of knowing how much drink they can handle.

I do agree that 8 years is too long for this, but 90 days is too short to act as a deterent. A year (without paroll) would be to act as a deterent, but not so long that it would destroy a family.

[JimRed]

...we've got first time drug dealers doing 25-life.

First time caught.