Woman Who Texted While Driving, Gets No Jail Time

Jailing her probably wouldn't help, but jail doesn't help in general, except in cases of violent criminals who pose a threat (and even there it's weird, since they do still go free eventually). It's supposed to be a deterrent.

Without more details I think it's hard to say whether the punishment is light or not.

Maybe the judge thought she had reason to not be aware of the dangers of texting and driving (given that it happened a couple of years ago, possibly before campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers).

Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was on a scooter - no disrespect meant to the right of people to not be run over regardless of vehicle choice, but it would take a much lower degree of negligence to kill someone on a scooter than in a normal traffic accident. It could be she basically lightly rear-ended the driver ahead at a slow speed, which isn't an offense normally punished by jail time.

I think a payment for the victim's family would be appropriate.

I don't see this as much of a deterrent, if she got away with essentially a slap on the wrist after she killed a man.

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 29 2006 Posts: 4772

I think her license should have been suspended. And I would not compare a teenager texting to a mother dealing with her kids. Obviously taking your eyes off the road is dangerous no matter what the reason but there is a difference in terms of the defense.

I really hope this guy has no mafia connections and that this girl gets major therapy. Having a death on your conscious is not something that is easily dealt with.
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Gold Member Joined: Oct 10 2010 Posts: 1580

Mommyz, you seem to think that the girl that texted deserves the worst, but the policeman that killed somebody, you blame it on simple human foibles.

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 28 2005 Posts: 4656

Yes. Not to gang up, but I definitely think the policeman's behavior is completely apalling and much much worse than the girl.
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Gold Member Joined: Oct 10 2010 Posts: 1580

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 18 2010 Posts: 3030

MommyZ can say for herself next time she logs on, but I didn't read it like she was defending the policeman more. I think she was saying that what happened wasn't somehow worse or a bigger deal just because a policeman was involved. It's awful and deserving of punishment no matter who is behind the wheel.

Speaking of punishment- I don't think deterrence is the issue here in terms of going to jail. She played fast and loose with safety and took someone's life as a result. The Torah punishes this conduct quite harshly, though not with jail time. In America, jail is the mode of punishment in these situations.

Gold Member Joined: Oct 10 2010 Posts: 1580

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18290

Gold Member Joined: May 27 2009 Posts: 1049

Im sure she learned her lesson. imagine that was you- would you want to go to jail? or would you want community service. youd be sending her away for ten years! a lot of pple get off with a plea why is this different?

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18290

Diamond Member Joined: Jan 24 2010 Posts: 3399

There isn't a doubt in my mind that what this girl did was accidental. No one goes into their car, and state that they want to hurt someone. It was an accident. I see that. But even if something hasn't "officially" been deemed dangerous or illegal, doesn't make this situation any better. Ignorance isn't a legitimate excuse. You have to use common sense. Texting while driving has always been dangerous. Even little kids knew/know this.

What makes her situation "worse" than other accidental deaths is that she was doing something that ultimately caused her to hit this person. She wasn't driving along on her merry way when another car ran a stop sign. That situation is out of her control. This one was within her control.

No matter how much bickering goes on here, there will still never be justice for the family. This man is dead, end of story. There's no amount of punishment in the world that can remedy that fact.

Think about the Victim, and his family's side of this. Imagine some random teenager who was texting when he crashed and C''V killed C''V someone dear to you.

Beginner Joined: Apr 01 2012 Posts: 1

I know a close friend of this girl. I believe that there's no proof that she was actively texting when she hit the man. As this girl is frum, although her (stupid) actions had incredibly tragic repercussions- the man DIED! it is still imperative to be dan lekaf zechus.

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 29 2010 Posts: 2921

Although I am happy that a frum girl did not have to go to jail cuz jail is no place for a frum girl. This was also recently in the news... and it makes me think it just causes a lot more anti semitism that she got off scott free.

http://www.latimes.com/busines.....3342.story

This teen got jail time for texting while driving and his license revoked for 15 years even though no one was killed and he says he wasn't texting at the time of the accident...

Do you think he deserves it more??

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 29 2010 Posts: 2921