Woman died in arms of injured husband after alleged drunk driving crash

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Skootenbeeten

What do you expect from Canada? Drunks, pedofiles and murderers are welcome, light sentences all around.

...and yet we have a fairly low crime rate. I hear these arguments all the time and I understand why there's anger every time someone is sentenced as it's human nature to want justice and to see people pay for crimes.

The law can't be based on what the public wants, because if you polled the general public privately on what the sentencing should be, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd come out with results of;

-mental illness leads to violent assault = who cares about the mental illness, and the details were gruesome, 50 years, no parole

-theft over $5000 = those people are scum and they know what they're doing, 25 years, daily beatings

-murder = death, eye for an eye, if he turns out innocent years later who cares, we needed our blood back then, it felt good and justified, justice is good


The sentences are based on punishment and rehabilitation, not just punishment. If you focus too much on punishment (and I get it, it feels better for victims, family, general public etc) you become the United States. I think our punishment/rehabilitation is decent in Canada, of course it could be better.

[jayswin]

I mean think about everything you've done over the last three years, now imagine yourself just sitting in jail that entire time, not part of society. I couldn't imagine myself in there for two days.

Three years is a long time, and it's a lot easier to call that light when just reading the number, the reality is that's an incredible amount of time to sit and think and either change for the better, stay the same or get worse and become more of a liability for society.

It's my unprofessional opinion that the longer we sentence people just to punish them so the public can go "good, you scum!!", the less chances you have of successful rehabilitation. It's a matter of weighing out how long is effective to punish someone for what they did vs rehabilitation for the betterment of society overall.

The law is set without emotion, and imo, is quite effective in Canada, the public reacts with emotion, so you have a disconnect. Which is why you always see the "Oh just come to Canada and be the murderers and pedophiles! We're open for business, you can do whatever you want!!".

I feel reactions to sentencing are often a little over the top in this country.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by chemgear

This was the car . . . how drunk was he to even ask while his victim was dying? Plenty.

That's the F150 not the Mercedes Benz

[flylock shox]

I'm don't think drunk drivers should be treated the same way as violent offenders are under the Code: there's a big difference between trying to kill someone (murder) or trying to hurt someone and killing them accidentally manslaughter, vs. doing something stupid/risky in an impaired state and accidentally killing someone. Sentences for drunk driving should be a lot lower than murder (and in lots of cases, manslaughter).

That said, driving is a licenced activity in Canada, meaning it's not a right but a privilege. If you abuse that privilege with the result that someone is killed it should be revoked and should not be granted again. So while I'm not totally offended by a 3 year jail sentence (although I could be persuaded), I don't think the guy should ever be allowed to drive again.

[flylock shox]

double post

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

I'm don't think drunk drivers should be treated the same way as violent offenders are under the Code: there's a big difference between trying to kill someone (murder) or trying to hurt someone and killing them accidentally manslaughter, vs. doing something stupid/risky in an impaired state and accidentally killing someone. Sentences for drunk driving should be a lot lower than murder (and in lots of cases, manslaughter).

That said, driving is a licenced activity in Canada, meaning it's not a right but a privilege. If you abuse that privilege with the result that someone is killed it should be revoked and should not be granted again. So while I'm not totally offended by a 3 year jail sentence (although I could be persuaded), I don't think the guy should ever be allowed to drive again.

I don't call that accidental, getting into a car drunk and hitting someone to me is no accident.

They took a life due to a selfish act.

I think it should be a minimum 5 year sentence and a permanent driving ban.

To hell with the driver.

[Winsor_Pilates]

I hadn't heard about this accident before, but reading on it now I realise I went to Mt Royal with the guilty driver.
Haven't seen or talked to him in 10 years, but was a good guy when I knew him. Obviously made a horrible mistake and killed and innocent person; such a shame and such stupidity.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I don't call that accidental, getting into a car drunk and hitting someone to me is no accident.

They took a life due to a selfish act.

I think it should be a minimum 5 year sentence and a permanent driving ban.

To hell with the driver.

It's an accident like it's an accident to kill someone if you walk into a busy public place, put on a blindfold, and randomly shoot a gun a few times.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

I'm don't think drunk drivers should be treated the same way as violent offenders are under the Code: there's a big difference between trying to kill someone (murder) or trying to hurt someone and killing them accidentally manslaughter, vs. doing something stupid/risky in an impaired state and accidentally killing someone. Sentences for drunk driving should be a lot lower than murder (and in lots of cases, manslaughter).

That said, driving is a licenced activity in Canada, meaning it's not a right but a privilege. If you abuse that privilege with the result that someone is killed it should be revoked and should not be granted again. So while I'm not totally offended by a 3 year jail sentence (although I could be persuaded), I don't think the guy should ever be allowed to drive again.

Would he actually follow a license ban. I would assume he would go jurisdiction hopping until he found a way to get a license or just drive without one. I would prefer lifetime breathalyzers in anyone convicted of any kind of impaired charge.