Timothy Birdnow

This is worrisome. I appreciate the point that it is dangerous and people shouldn't do it, does intent not enter into the Law anymore? We have reached the point in Europe (and it's coming to America, of course) where there is always legal liability, even in pure accidents. Somebody has to be blamed these days. While there IS reason to blame a texting driver, I think the punishment is excessive for what is essentially an accident due to negligence. Punish, yes, but life?

Nobody who will be charged with this will have woke up and said to him or herself "I think I'll kill some innocent motorist today!" Intent is important. And they'll let people out of prison for actual premeditated murder in less time.

According to the U.K. Telegraph article:

Drivers who cause death when looking at their mobile phones will face life in jail for the first time under Government plans to be revealed on Monday.

In a major hardening of sentencing guidelines, ministers will propose raising the upper limit of imprisonment for dangerous drivers who kill from 14 years to a lifetime.

It is designed to send a "clear message” that people who cause "immeasurable pain” to families with reckless driving should be given a "punishment that fits the crime”.

The move comes after a string of high-profile cases where children have been killed when people at the wheel failed to brake while being distracted by their phones.

end

Hard cases make bad law. This is just another example of a hard case being used to toughen laws, to make people even more the puppets of the State. And it will come to America in due course.

A free society requires some risk. It wouldn't be worth having if it didn't.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 06:36 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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