Killing a Cyclist is no Laughing Matter
Jan 24th, 2008 | By Fredcaster | Category: NewsLots of listeners sent me the same story today. It concerns Melissa Arrington, a woman convicted of negligent homicide in the death of cyclist Paul L’Ecuyer. In a jail house phone call, she can be heard laughing and joking about the death of the cyclist. As a result, she received a sentence of 10-1/2 years in jail. Good for the judge!
A video report of the story can be found here.
Good for the judge? Well… okay, but 10 1/2 years for murder? According to a CNN article he probably would have got something like 4 years if she wasn’t such a moron. Thats appalling! This was her second (at least) DUI! She was undoubtedly informed of the danger of what she was doing. I feel the sentence should have been more like twenty years… make it thirty for the moron factor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-v7C8MUoq4
That link actually works for me. In the link given I couldn’t get past buffering the video.
It does bring home an important point. You’re phone calls are gonna be monitored at the police station, so WATCH YOUR MOUTH.
I don’t think the conversation should have any affect on her sentencing. But then again, I’m not a big fan of leniency on drivers who get people killed. There just isn’t enough education these days on how dangerous a 3,000lb+ object is at 30mph.
The negligence of driving drunk is horrible enough.
The laugh was pretty understated and uncomfortable sounding to me though. Like a “shut up I’m in jail” laugh.