I make no bones about my ongoing opposition to "legalization" here in Washington State.
The campaign was a campaign of lies... and people who would likely still be alive if it hadn't passed are now dead.
I do not understand why, in effect, a doper who killed someone under the influence of pot got off with a traffic ticket.
No one who injures/kills anyone under the influence should be treated differently than they would have been if they'd pulled out a .357 and shot them.
That's the irony, you see: Had Rowles walked up to this person, pulled a gun and blown their brains out, he'd be facing... at best (for him) life in prison.
Instead... He gets off. And 6 months... where he's going to be let out after maybe 2 or 3, is "nothing" compared to the life he ended.
When the outcome of the crime is the same... the punishment should be the same.
In the end, it doesn't matter all that much how Collins got dead. What matters is that he's dead.
The only thing different here is the mode. And this sentence will serve zero purpose in punishment (There is no question this guy is going to continue smoking pot and driving) and it doesn't even mention revocation of his license.
Yeah... the next time a stoner whips that "pot never killed anyone" bullshit out, remind him of this: just one of many situations where, in fact, pot DID play a major role in killing someone.
The campaign was a campaign of lies... and people who would likely still be alive if it hadn't passed are now dead.
I do not understand why, in effect, a doper who killed someone under the influence of pot got off with a traffic ticket.
A Milwaukie, Ore., man who struck and killed a pedestrian in December 2012 while driving under the influence of marijuana was sentenced Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court to six months in jail.
Scott "Scotty" R. Rowles, 49, pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor driving under the influence. He initially faced a charge of vehicular homicide. However, the prosecution agreed to downgrade the charge.I will be asking our prosecutor, who I supported for re-election, what's up with this.
No one who injures/kills anyone under the influence should be treated differently than they would have been if they'd pulled out a .357 and shot them.
That's the irony, you see: Had Rowles walked up to this person, pulled a gun and blown their brains out, he'd be facing... at best (for him) life in prison.
Instead... He gets off. And 6 months... where he's going to be let out after maybe 2 or 3, is "nothing" compared to the life he ended.
When the outcome of the crime is the same... the punishment should be the same.
In the end, it doesn't matter all that much how Collins got dead. What matters is that he's dead.
The only thing different here is the mode. And this sentence will serve zero purpose in punishment (There is no question this guy is going to continue smoking pot and driving) and it doesn't even mention revocation of his license.
Yeah... the next time a stoner whips that "pot never killed anyone" bullshit out, remind him of this: just one of many situations where, in fact, pot DID play a major role in killing someone.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, (prescription medication, legal, or illegal drugs) is driving while impaired. The penalties for driving "under the influence" should generally be the same regardless of the specific intoxicant.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I agree that automobile-related deaths caused by irresponsible drivers deserve more serious penalties. (I would leave it up to the legislature to find a reasonable balance of justice.)
In this case, marijuana in no more responsible for the traffic death than would alcohol, methamphetamine, valium, or oxycodone. The law-braking is the driving while impaired. If it causes a death, it should be dealt with suitably. Six months in the county jail plus 5 years probation seems like a rather light sentence for the crime. The family of the deceased may be able to put forward a "wrongful death" suit, but it seems likely that the perpetrator won't have much in the way of assets to pay a judgment.