April:
Too bad his leg was amputated instead of his head.  Fucker.

Wrong person, April. The father of the child that died, i.e. the other victim, had to have his leg amputated. The drunk driver will (regrettably) be fine.

It has just occurred to me that if they make drunk driving a felony, then the laws that say that any death that is caused during the commission of a felony is murder would kick in? Could they make drunk driving a felony?

Drunk driving under certain circumstances is a felony. Usually, if you’ve caused damage or get multiple DUIs in a set period of time, in which case the latter DUIs will be felonies. Also, if you’ve ever been charged with felony DUI, your next DUI will be a felony no matter what amount of time has elapsed. But not every state has felony murder on the books, and, besides, there’s already vehicular manslaughter – a very specific charge tailored to this type of event. Why we need to try and morph the crime into qualifying for some other charge rather than simply extending the maximum sentence for vehicular manslaughter is entirely beyond me.

But trying to qualify it as second-degree murder is kinda like this: You go out and buy a first aid kit. The kit has got everything you need other than bandages. Instead of going out and simply buying bandages and adding them to the kit you bought (the obvious course of action and, in this case, equivalent to extending vehicular homicide sentences), you go out and buy a whole ‘nother first aid kit that does have bandages, but doesn’t have some of the other stuff you need. So, when someone gets hurt, instead of having one multi-purpose kit to serve your purposes, you have to choose between two kits, neither of which will fully suffice in some circumstances.

Besides it being dubious in regard to legal theory, it’s fucking retarded.

Why? Because it means that I, having no prior DUIs on record, can go out tonight, get fucking WASTED and take some poor mother fucker out… but, because this would be a first offense, they can’t *prove* I knew it was dangerous. As a result, second-degree murder isn’t an option and they’ve got no choice but to charge me with vehicular manslaughter, a crime that I will likely serve less than 2 years in prison for.

If people are SO damn sick and tired of drunk drivers killing people, nail them ALL to the wall, not just the elite few that are so fucked up, they actually qualify for second-degree murder. But that won’t happen, because most people are emotional, reactionary poopyheads who don’t think things through very well and are easily duped into believing their representatives are actually addressing the problem.

Extending vehicular homicide sentences is the only LOGICAL choice. (Although, to be fair, the felony murder idea would be a close second if every state had felony murder – and, if I agreed with felony murder. )

/rant

Abroad:
It has just occurred to me that if they make drunk driving a felony, then the laws that say that any death that is caused during the commission of a felony is murder would kick in?
Could they make drunk driving a felony?

Nice.  They totally should. 

Sir Geoff:
I see both sides, but ultimately I feel drunk driving should be charged with murder if someone is killed. Getting behind the wheel drunk is intent enough for me. It’s like those people who murder during a break in arguing they didn’t intend to kill someone they thought the house was empty, etc….. If you put yourself in a position where someone was killed because of your actions knowing (I believe most people know when they are drunk) that your judgement or possible situation could lead to someone’s death then it’s murder.

It has just occurred to me that if they make drunk driving a felony, then the laws that say that any death that is caused during the commission of a felony is murder would kick in?

Could they make drunk driving a felony?

biteme:
Hi Veronica, sorry about your job situation, good luck out there I know it’s a tough job market

Hey Veronica!  Sorry to hear about you getting laid off….what a freaking bummer….but you certainly sound like an intelligent, capable person, so I have no doubt you will find something you love really soon.

Veronica: That’s not the only way the prison industrial complex makes so much money – it also keeps nonviolent drug offenders locked up for long terms while worthless wastes of DNA like this guy are paroled.  I used my one brain cell to come to this conclusion once I figured out what a live brain cell is, are you proud? 

Hi Veronica, sorry about your job situation, good luck out there I know it’s a tough job market

You know what I think… it isn’t just the crime that should be given all the attention in court; the attitude and arrogance of many criminals aren’t even considered in with all the other “facts” as they should be.  Look at this guy… he’s got no soul!  He’s a TOTAL PRICK!   That should count for something in a court of law and in the punishment, as well.