Is this a fair sentence?

[NightCrawler]

I remember the actual news broadcast on this because I was in Orlando the weekend it happened.

The Hayabusa was racing a Porsche. When the 2 flew by the officer, he gave chase. The cop died after his tire blew out, he lost control of his car, wound up flipping a few times, and then hitting a tree. Worse yet, the cop wasn't supposed to pursue. FHP has a 0% pursuit policy unless its a felony chase. Anyways, a little further up  (the 2 racers had split at this time) another cop saw the bike and gave chase but soon lost him. A little while later, the bike was seen parked at (of all places) a rest stop. The cops waited until the rider came out and that's when they made the arrest. As far as I know, the Porsche driver was never found.

The Busa rider has now been sentenced to 30 years but he could have gotten 60. I personally feel that's not fair. Its not like he "directly" caused his death by ramming him or such(hard to do with a bike but you get my point). Heck, he probably didn't even know he was being chased. I was just wondering how the rest of you felt.

Additional link:

Additional link : zx-12r.org Offline <-- I'm adding this link because a close friend of the deceased cop speaks up on it.

Additional link :Another thread



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[Creekboy]

Thats BS period....there setting an example......suckass lawyers...

 

[BusaWhipped]

I feel for the family of the trooper, but convicting the biker of manslaughter because the trooper didn't break off the chase and lost control of his car is wrong. The trooper had other options than HSP, but chose that course of action in violation of the HSP policy in that juristiction. 30 years in prision for speeding is rediculous.

 

[WarBaby]

Way excessive...IMO.

 

[adrenaline junkey]

wow! making an example of him i would guess I feel for the family and the trooper but if he would have adhered to department policy and the busa rider would have pulled over they both would have been better off but it didn't happen that way

 

[greeneinc]

I would have to say poor lawyer and the rider should not of even gone to court. Did they have a tag number to verify it was this bike.

 

[TRICKBUSA]

i got a couple of questions and observations. how do they know they got the right guy how was he ided he could have just been a unlucky guy stoppin to take a leak you have to rember all cops know by then one of theres is dead and a bike caused it so any bike will do next car and bike were goin way too fast to read plates why did the cops go after the bike and not the car cops always go after the bike why is that? i personally think most cops get a real hardon when they write bikes but thats just me. unless there is more info that we dont know about or the guy pleaded to it he should appeal cause they are makin an example on this case and it sucks big time. what say you-what say you all

 

[TRICKBUSA]

i just went back and read another thread, williams pleaded to it, i never would have (like shaggy said it wwasnt me) if they didnt catch me it wasnt me. but i still ask the question why do cops chase the bike? any answers

 

[justintime2]

That is plain wrong.

 

[Mr Brown]

Bad sutuation for all involved. Three men made poor decisions, which resulted in the death of one of them. A sad day for two mens families, and there's one guy who is being eaten up with guilt. The driver of the car knows who he is, and what happened. The punishment seems excessive, the blame lies with the Porsche driver, the biker and the cop. We all have decisions to make, these guys made the wrong one.

 

[cosmo]

If the roles were reversed and a biker died due to an unrelated (and unlawful) HSP would you expect the cop to be prosecuted and sentenced to 30 years?
A local Busa driver was killed here on Friday December 9'th by a school bus that blew a stop sign. I attended the funeral yesterday and asked the cop in attendance what the status of the bus driver was. His response: Under investigation.

9 days after the incident not even a ticket has been issued. The local paper posted a 2 line death notice and NO COVERAGE of the incident.



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[pure_ego]

I believe 30yrs is over the top..

I also believe he should have gotten some time out of it.. I remember reading somewhere that he turned back to see if the cop was pulling out.. from an eyewitness... if thats true.. he knew the cop was chasing... at that point he should have stopped.. nobody would be dead... and his biggest problem would be a jacked up insurance rate.. if he even had any to begin with.

in closing... 30 yrs is excessive... but 5yrs... yes... I would have no pity for him at that level...

 

[mjn]

Wrong imo

 

[lot boy]

does any of this surprise you? i think the only mistake the rider made was stoping where he did.
just another case of sheet rolling down hill--sad

 

[Juggler]

Sounds excessive. Appeal!

 

[moondog]

To satisfy the media, the sentence may have been 30 years. However, I'll bet they suspend all but a few when it's all said and done. Too bad for the trooper, poor decision on his part.

 

[frisbee]

30 years is way to much for what he did.

 

[TIMMYDUCK]

No,unjust conviction on the manslaughter.
The guy must have had some serious priors.
# 1 reason you will never see timmyduck on "Cops"
They never show the ones that get away.

 

[Turbo-Torch]

To satisfy the media, the sentence may have been 30 years. However, I'll bet they suspend all but a few when it's all said and done. Too bad for the trooper, poor decision on his part.

I sure hope that's the case.

If that rider was someone I knew, I'd be setting up a site to take donations in order to higher him a real lawyer...if there is a site up like that now, I'll donate to it.

The 2½ years he got in the one county for speeding, evading ect. was harsh but justifiable. The 30 years is INSANE and when you tack on the 2½, he'll be over 70 years old and going from jail to a nursing home when he gets out. His life is OVER for twisting the throttle on a Busa for a few moments. I bet if he never admitted to any of it, he'd be free right now.

As far as the cop dying, just how far to you play the blame game? If you fail to signal a lane change and a cop pulls a u-turn and gets nailed by a semi, do you go to jail for 30 years because your failure to signal caused that cops death?

Will GM be held accountable because the Camaro went out of control?
Will the tire manufacturer be sued because the right rear tire split apart?
The cop died due to his own choices with a bit of "sh!t happens" mixed in.

I wonder how that fugtard judge would have handled Janklow's sentencing? This country is getting beyond sickening.

 

[Tio Loco]

30 years give me a break! Both the guy on the bike and the police officer made the wrong choice.  I feel for the Police officers family but being a police officer comes with this kind of risk.  If the guy on the bike had hit the tree High fives all around at the local tavern for the police.  If the cops tire blew that’s what killed him anyway sue the tire manufacture or the police department if the tire wasn’t in good condition.