Drunk Driver Charged With Murder (crime, felony, live) - San Antonio - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

L210 · 10-22-2010, 12:35 AM

I had no idea about this and the Texas legislature needs to toughen the laws. If you are committing a felony and kill someone in the process (even by accident), you can be charged with felony murder which comes with a sentence of up to life in prison. If you drive drunk and kill someone, you cannot be charged with murder because it was an accident. You can only be charged with intoxication manslaughter which carries a sentence of 2 to 20 years in prison. I thought people made a clear decision when sober to go get drunk without a safe way to get home.

Anyway, Susan Reed has found a way around this. Remember the lady who evaded arrest, ran through a red light, and hit a van and killed a family of 4 including 2 children? Well Susan Reed believes that since the woman was committing the felony of evading detection when she killed that family, she can be charged with felony murder. This is the first time ever in Bexar County that a person will be charged with murder for killing someone while driving drunk.

http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news...rticle=7740060

Merovee · 10-22-2010, 02:36 AM

While I agree the law needs to be more stringent I do not think judicial activists or even DA's should try and be creative when applying the law or attempting to change it outside of the legislative process.

One reason the punishment might not be severe enough is that drinking and driving is a crime that all sectors of society commit. Most crimes that rich people also commit are going to have weaker punishments 'since we cannot be sending our most productive citizens to jail' <- not my thinking just an observation of how the system works.

If in doubt we all know crack cocaine has higher punishments than powder because most though crack was for minorities while powder was for whites. Also in Texas long ago carrying the smallest amount of marijuana could lead to prison time but when the governor's son got arrested the law was changed. That happened long ago.

If the DA is trying to push hard on this case but not in others when death has occurred then I wonder if the wreck happening in the Southside has anything to do with it? This is not the first or last case that will end up like this so while more stringent laws are important so is the uniform application of all laws.

stan4 · 10-22-2010, 03:26 AM

Something has to be done about drunk driving. It's such a disgusting crime that has ruined many lives.

Until the penalties for driving while intoxicated are seriously toughened up (like in other countries, where you lose your license forever), legalizing other drugs would be stupid...

majormadmax · 10-22-2010, 03:49 AM

Yes, that law has been in effect for some time; it is how they are charging that man who killed the young lady who was thrown from the truck he was stealing.

It makes sense as it holds people accountable for all aspects of their criminal behavior, intended or otherwise; and I for one applaud any DA that applies it in such cases!

Cheers! M2

L210 · 10-22-2010, 04:01 AM

I knew about the felony murder law; I did not know that people driving drunk could not be charged with murder. A reporter on WOAI said some suspect Susan Reed is doing this because she's up for re-election. But I think it's only fair. If that other man can be charged with murder because someone died while he was stealing a vehicle, then someone evading arrest should also be charged with murder.

Merovee · 10-22-2010, 04:13 AM

Reed did not charge Angelini even if she asked he not be allowed to hear cases involving DWIs.

Judge Angelini's DWI case tossed (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA062708_1A_ANGELINI_41f75c4b_html25626.html - broken link)

Reed also was behind this effort to let first-timers walk.

DA launches bilateral attack on drunken-driving suspects (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA040208_02B_DWIblooddraw_35387c7_html32037.html - broken link)

Whatever her strategy is against drunk drivers it is far from being uniform.

sapphire · 10-22-2010, 04:59 AM

Whatever her strategy is against drunk drivers, in this case, she's perfect. Lock that idiot up and throw away the key. FOUR dead people???? Why? Because of some selfish, "it's-all-about-me" LOSER. She's despicable.

Merovee · 10-22-2010, 05:15 AM

Most would agree she should be locked away, no one is insinuating otherwise. And while some only want to focus on the defendant and call her all kinds of names there are greater aspects of this case and issue.

While Reed's strategy might be perfect for this case the greater issue is her strategy overall which has nothing to do with this particular case but all DWI cases. She could have been harder on DWI across the board. Maybe first time offense you lose your license forever? Second time jail time unless you hurt someone the first time.

Most will also agree drunk drivers in general are not wise, are selfish, and do what we all consider despicable. There are other more interesting items to discuss though than just insulting the defendant especially since we all are LOSERS without better DWI laws. "It's-about-all-of-us", what is best for society and not just the reelection.

majormadmax · 10-22-2010, 05:19 AM

Yep, agreed; this law should be applied evenly to all cases, not just selected ones. This city and state needs to crack down heavily on drunk drivers, and a few instances of charging them with murder when they kill someone would probably do the trick. I don't care who the guilty party is, the law applies to everyone...

sapphire · 10-22-2010, 05:22 AM

Hopefully she's reading this. Hopefully, she will come to understand that her selfish actions caused the deaths of four innocent people and she's not going to get away with it without suffering some consequences. Major consequences. People who choose to drive drunk are losers. Obviously the laws aren't going to change because a few people are sitting here spewing on an internet forum. It takes real action, not words on a message board.