Infuriating

[oxysback]

Isn't justic supposed to be blind?

Oh I forgot that was before these liberal judges took over the constitution and our court system. The poor wealth manager, it might affect his future job prospects never mind he left a person for dead.

I'm fuming

Sorry, Bike Writer. Someone should have warned you. The unspoken rule of the forum is that it's ok to bring up political stuff as long as it's left leaning.

Rally to restore sanity and/or fear? Perfectly fine to make a thread about.
Tea Party rallies (and their "ilk", as someone so kindly called them in a different thread)? Definitely NOT ok.

Just thought you should know.

(Sorry gals. I do like this forum, but sometimes I feel it's not as "non-partisan" as it could be, which is why I don't post very often.)

(I DO agree that this particular DA needs to find another job ASAP, and the driver should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.)

(Ok...I'm done. Commence the flogging...)

[OakLeaf]

Once again:

This has nothing. to. do. with. judges.

Maybe the good "conservative" citizens of the county, via the Grand Jury, will decide on their own to indict this piece of ****, as is their right and duty. That could happen.

And anyone who thinks the "Rally to Restore Sanity" was "liberal" ... I don't even know where someone would get that idea. Unless sanity is a "liberal" idea. Read or watch some of how it's being vilified in the Left press and on TV, maybe. I think the whole purpose of the rally (besides advertising) was actually to distract attention from the rally the first weekend of the month, which was for human rights causes that some people consider "liberal."

[ny biker]

Sorry, Bike Writer. Someone should have warned you. The unspoken rule of the forum is that it's ok to bring up political stuff as long as it's left leaning.

Rally to restore sanity and/or fear? Perfectly fine to make a thread about.
Tea Party rallies (and their "ilk", as someone so kindly called them in a different thread)? Definitely NOT ok.

Just thought you should know.

(Sorry gals. I do like this forum, but sometimes I feel it's not as "non-partisan" as it could be, which is why I don't post very often.)

(I DO agree that this particular DA needs to find another job ASAP, and the driver should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.)

(Ok...I'm done. Commence the flogging...)

Well, since I started the thread about the Daily Show rally... I was asking if anyone was going to an event on the mall. It wasn't about advocating any particular position, just seeing if anyone was going to attend, and to see if anyone had any interest in meeting up. Which was why it was in the Mid-Atlantic forum, since I was asking folks who live near DC. If someone wanted to see if anyone was planning to attend a different event, whether it was a Tea Party rally or a Smithsonian festival or Rolling Thunder or whatever, I wouldn't care.

[Eden]

It's not whether or not the post was left leaning or right leaning, but rather about whether or not it was accurate.....

I can call the sky green all I want and say its my opinion, but its not accurate...

It's just not accurate to blame the situation on a "liberal judge" - for one it was the DA's decision, not a judge and that particular DA isn't particularly liberal.... and beyond that it would be pretty well against liberal beliefs to act in such a way anyway.

[redrhodie]

Maybe the good "conservative" citizens of the county, via the Grand Jury, will decide on their own to indict this piece of ****, as is their right and duty. That could happen.

Could that really happen? How? Doesn't the DA have to present a case to the jury for it to be considered?

I've never served on a Grand Jury, so I don't really understand how it works.

[Cataboo]

Just wow. Noone does drama like the team estrogen women.

[PamNY]

Sorry, Bike Writer. Someone should have warned you. The unspoken rule of the forum is that it's ok to bring up political stuff as long as it's left leaning.

Um...understanding how the justice system works makes you left-leaning? I think you missed the point. In this case, the judge has done...what? S/he could lean far enough to fall on the floor -- wouldn't affect the topic under discussion.

Back to the original topic, could there be validity to the argument that maintaining earning power increases the villain's ability to pay restitution? According to an article in HuffPo, restitution was part of the plea bargain. Apparently the two misdemeanor counts could bring up to two years in jail.

And if there's a civil lawsuit? I'd much rather sue a high earner.

I don't understand at all why the victim is pushing for a felony conviction that would later be expunged from the record. Does he want the felony just as a matter of principle?

The more I read about this the less I understand.

[Bike Writer]

Sorry, Bike Writer. Someone should have warned you. The unspoken rule of the forum is that it's ok to bring up political stuff as long as it's left leaning.

Just thought you should know.

(Ok...I'm done. Commence the flogging...)

Yikes, now you tell me! Thank you for the heads up, I can hold my own but this is not the time or place. Energy better spent on bike riding.

[ultraviolet]

Why should his "high earner" status somehow exempt him from the standard of the law? How much money he does, or can, earn should not be a factor in what charges are brought against him. (Unless we're going to say that we should have different laws for people based on monetary "class" or societal standing...and I'm pretty sure none of us want to go down that road.)

A hit-and-run is a felony offense. He committed a hit-and-run crime. He should be charged with a felony.

Feh.

[Bike Chick]

This is horrifying and an outrage! Where did the DA go to law school is what I want to know?

For the record, the DA (or prosecutor) files criminal charges on behalf of the state against an individual who IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. This is a right guaranteed to us by our Constitution. You can either plead guilty or be found guilty by a judge or jury. You can't be adjudicated for a crime greater than what you are charged with. The problem in this case lies with the prosecutor---not the judge.

[zoom-zoom]

Just wow. Noone does drama like the team estrogen women.

I take it you've never hung out on any dieting or mommy boards. This is nuthin'. I'm not getting out the popcorn for this.

On-topic. It's all about the Benjamins. Lohan, Hilton, et al. should have been behind bars ages ago.

[PamNY]

I take it you've never hung out on any dieting or mommy boards. This is nuthin'. I'm not getting out the popcorn for is.

Or dogs, or anything really. This is about the most low-drama group on teh interwebz.

[pll]

Let's get our facts straight. Mark Hulbert, the District Attorney in this case, is the one that dropped the charges. He's a Republican in an arguably conservative state. "Liberal judges"--whoever they may be in your mind--didn't have anything to do with what happened in this case.

I would normally not get involved in a discussion about politics, but, Bike Writer (and oxysback), you should not just brush off the criticism as 'left leaning'. You very lightly blamed the decision of a clearly Republican, conservative, DA on "those liberal judges." So, "those liberal judges" are blamed for everyone's lack of judgement?

The plead offered by Hulbert is a mockery of justice.

[smilingcat]

One place where our justice system fail miserably is when the accused is well known or have deep pocket. But it does work both ways. Queen of Mean Leona Helmsley would have gotten off with less had she not had her notoriety. And oh the darling Martha Stewart, she went to jail for things male day traders get away with.Then we have Lohan, Paris... as zoom-zoom pointed out and not to forget OJ Simpson.

For what its worth, justice is not money/celebrity blind. Yes the DA should be thrown out of the office for dropping the ball. Judge had nothing to do with the debacle. He is an innocent bystander in this mess. Justice is not served!! Judge has no authority to force the DA to bring charges or to force the DA to drop charges. He can only do so after the DA acts upon the case or non-case.

hmm politically where do I stand?? Well that really isn't for here anyway!!

[JennK13]

Back to the original topic, could there be validity to the argument that maintaining earning power increases the villain's ability to pay restitution? According to an article in HuffPo, restitution was part of the plea bargain. Apparently the two misdemeanor counts could bring up to two years in jail.

I don't understand at all why the victim is pushing for a felony conviction that would later be expunged from the record. Does he want the felony just as a matter of principle?
.

The villain's wage earning ability shouldn't have anything to do with the charges. A felony is a felony no matter what you earn. What about the victim and his earning potential prior to injury? The guy is a surgeon who will now be in pain and unable to work as he 0previously did.