Do you agree with the "Affluenza" defense?

1. 83

   Alphadogg16posted 11 years ago

   The American justice system is progressively getting worse by the minute. Recently a wealthy 16 year Ft. Worth boy was sentenced to probation after he killed 4 people while driving drunk. His lawyers defended him by saying he didn't know right from wrong because of his upbringing. Is anyone responsible for their actions anymore?

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      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Remember it is the BEST defense that MONEY can buy.  If one is rich, affluent, and has money, he/she can pay for the best attorney who will DO ANYTHING to see that their client receives the lightest sentence possible. Again, it is back to the societal pecking order.   Those at the top of the societal pecking order (the rich, influential, and powerful) are highly revered and respected.  They are the rule makers, deal makers/breakers, and the shot callers. They have the POWER. It is THEIR game and they can play it ANYWAY they want.    Money always TALKS.  He/she who has the money, has the GOODS and INFLUENCE.
      

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         Mike Bennettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         gmwilliams--I like that! Call it INFLUENCE-A.

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   2. 60

      Mike Bennettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Remember the Twinkie defense? Remember the woman who sued McD's because her hot coffee burned her? And what about all the physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially poor? They have lots of defenders/explainers/excusers. And now the wealthy....
      Pretty soon it will be only the mid-income, health-conscious, and literate folks who won't have a rat's chance in a U.S. courtroom.
      As for this particular case, if the boy was indeed abused (though "counterintuitively") by his grossly underqualified and negligent parents, the parents will have to suffer (let's hope they still have that capability) the public humiliation of wasting their own and their child's lives. Nevertheless, the boy was 16. Where I come from, we believe that a child can know right from wrong at about age 7-8. Unless his school, church (probably didn't attend any), friends, society around him, and all the drunk-driving ads were as totally dumb and ineffective as his parents, he should have known better. Ignorance (even if inherited) is no defense.

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      Shyron E Shenkoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think the person/persons who are paying for his defense should go to jail in his place.

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   Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

   In before retief2000 claims that the rich are simply more moral and thus deserve less jail time than us sinful poor people.

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      Silverspeederposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It seems the judges have now become the lunatics that run the asylum.

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3. 80

   tillsontitanposted 11 years ago

   It is a truly sad state of affairs.  I don't care how much money you have or don't have, being responsible for the death of another human being should never be dismissed for any reason, money or otherwise.  How sad for the families of those youngsters who were killed.

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4. 83

   Alphadogg16posted 11 years ago

   Or since he's a minor & his parents didn't teach him right from wrong, put them in jail.

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5. 83

   Alphadogg16posted 11 years ago

   Or since he's still a minor & his parents apparently never taught him right from wrong, put the parents in jail.

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6. 60

   Paul Wingertposted 11 years ago

   So much for Texas being tough on crime unless you're a rich, white guy. Oh wait! They have money! Big payday for the victims families and the injured! The lawyers would be coming out of the woodwork to get the lawsuit machine rolling!

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      Mike Bennettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe there can be civil suits brought against the parents by the victims' families?

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