Update on Street Racing Prosecution

[mswaim]

My only question is, why did the people he represented who stabbed people and beat somebody with a hammer get away with less than 15 to life?

That is his statement to the press. Defense lawyers love their 15 minutes of fame however it comes to them. CA prisons are full of 25 to lifers and our death row is full of his other clients.

In reality, cases involving violent crimes (especially with weapons) lead to very stiff sentences.

 

[CobraChris08]

He got exactly what he deserves. Street racers really need to start thinking about the consequences of their actions!!!

I agree X10. I've given up street racing.

 

[mf150]

That is his statement to the press. Defense lawyers love their 15 minutes of fame however it comes to them. CA prisons are full of 25 to lifers and our death row is full of his other clients.

In reality, cases involving violent crimes (especially with weapons) lead to very stiff sentences.

a car is a deadly weapon....at least, that is my philosophy.

 

[blubyeu]

Well deserved charges. Now all we need to do is figure out a way to eliminate all of the high speed police chases. Not trying to flame, but they are just as dangerous to the general public.

 

[ExplorerThis]

Stupidity is the key - street racing in any form is stupid: hense, one dead, two in prison.

It's not the running of the stop sign that caused this accident, it was the race, beginning to end. Once they began racing, they were in violation of the law and that violation led to the deaths, running the stop sign was only one component of the incident.

*removed by moderator*

Please read your PM.

 

[mf150]

Well deserved charges. Now all we need to do is figure out a way to eliminate all of the high speed police chases. Not trying to flame, but they are just as dangerous to the general public.

If people didn't break the law, then police wouldn't have to chase. But I agree...despite the fact that police officers go through extensive training (guess it depends on the dept.), there are some skills that cannot be taught.

I just hope that law enforcers don't go over the top with street races. If there are many in one area, chances are there are not enought LEGAL tracks open for people to drag race. Opening up legal drag/autox courses would lessen illegal acts, I would guess. Have police supported events even.

There are so many other "crimes" that are loosing the focus of departments b/c street racing (speed contest) is stealing the spotlight as a major NONO.

Be intersting to see what everyone has to say about this. There has got to be a better way to stop dangerous acts, UNLESS, police departments are just the county's main source of income, so the rich can get richer.

There is never enough money. I don't think police officers should be agaist the average citizen who messes up occasionally. My buddy, for instance, who is completely against racing, got arrested the other week for "speed Contest." He was accelerating and broke the speed limit.

I do believe that this was a harsh course of action for the police officers to choose, for my buddy has been insured and w/o incident for over 8 years.

I don't know...kinda glad there are lawyers out there who can sift through a lot of the BS calls that are made by people in authoritative positions.

 

[Ironhand]

Someone being stupid again... I hope they cant drive EVER again for the rest of their life.

 

[mswaim]

**edited By 03dohc**

 

[ExplorerThis]

*Removed by Moderator*

Do NOT post in the Donut Shop again!

 

[WTF]

There are too many variables...even if you think it is safe, something could happen. It's just not worth it. I personally couldn't live with myself if I killed or hurt someone else do to my stupidity. Even if you get caught just having a bit of fun, it isn't worth all the headache. Even if you aren't racing, but you are with people who look like they are racing, it still isn't worth it.

I still stand by my statement. I know street racing elevates risks... that's common sense. But the cause of death IS someone running a stop sign, not a contest of speed.

Let me put it to you this way. My ONLY accident, in 13 years of driving was for this very same thing. I blew through a street light and t-boned a couple girls in daddy's hand me down volvo (thank god they were driving a volvo).

I had just turned 17 years old. Both cars were totaled. The two girls had to go to the hospital with whiplash injuries. It was completely my fault.

Why did i run the red light? ...because I wasn't conscious. I fell asleep at the wheel (severely sleep deprived so i was nodding in and out).

Gee, where's all the media induced craze and crack down against driving while drowsy? Just as deadly as intoxication no? :shrug: But if I had been "STREET RACING!!!1!!one!" I'm sure I would have made headlines. :sleeping:

The fact is, if I would've been conscious at the moment, I would have of course stopped for the light. It takes a certain kind of person to intentionally blast through a stop light. Why do you think they call it 'street light to street light' racing? You're not suppose to run them!

Never mind racing, these people had a horrible accident coming anyway you looked at it. That's why the severity of the punishment fit the bill. However all the buzz surrounding Street racing, street racing, street racing is completely moot. :bored:

 

[Lawman85]

I still stand by my statement. I know street racing elevates risks... that's common sense. But the cause of death IS someone running a stop sign, not a contest of speed.

Let me put it to you this way. My ONLY accident, in 13 years of driving was for this very same thing. I blew through a street light and t-boned a couple girls in daddy's hand me down volvo (thank god they were driving a volvo).

I had just turned 17 years old. Both cars were totaled. The two girls had to go to the hospital with whiplash injuries. It was completely my fault.

Why did i run the red light? ...because I wasn't conscious. I fell asleep at the wheel (severely sleep deprived so i was nodding in and out).

Gee, where's all the media induced craze and crack down against driving while drowsy? Just as deadly as intoxication no? :shrug: But if I had been "STREET RACING!!!1!!one!" I'm sure I would have made headlines. :sleeping:

The fact is, if I would've been conscious at the moment, I would have of course stopped for the light. It takes a certain kind of person to intentionally blast through a stop light. Why do you think they call it 'street light to street light' racing? You're not suppose to run them!

Never mind racing, these people had a horrible accident coming anyway you looked at it. That's why the severity of the punishment fit the bill. However all the buzz surrounding Street racing, street racing, street racing is completely moot. :bored:

The reason he probably ran the stop sign was to win the race. If he wasn't in a contest with someone I'm sure he would have stopped like he always does. The adrenaline of the race over road his common sense and driving ability, which caused the deaths.

Are you trying to say that if he hadn't been racing then he still would have blown through the stop sign?

 

[mswaim]

I still stand by my statement. I know street racing elevates risks... that's common sense. But the cause of death IS someone running a stop sign, not a contest of speed.

Let me put it to you this way. My ONLY accident, in 13 years of driving was for this very same thing. I blew through a street light and t-boned a couple girls in daddy's hand me down volvo (thank god they were driving a volvo).

I had just turned 17 years old. Both cars were totaled. The two girls had to go to the hospital with whiplash injuries. It was completely my fault.

Why did i run the red light? ...because I wasn't conscious. I fell asleep at the wheel (severely sleep deprived so i was nodding in and out).

Gee, where's all the media induced craze and crack down against driving while drowsy? Just as deadly as intoxication no? :shrug: But if I had been "STREET RACING!!!1!!one!" I'm sure I would have made headlines. :sleeping:

The fact is, if I would've been conscious at the moment, I would have of course stopped for the light. It takes a certain kind of person to intentionally blast through a stop light. Why do you think they call it 'street light to street light' racing? You're not suppose to run them!

Never mind racing, these people had a horrible accident coming anyway you looked at it. That's why the severity of the punishment fit the bill. However all the buzz surrounding Street racing, street racing, street racing is completely moot. :bored:

The buzz is not wasted since the activity is illegal. It is a crime. It endangers the public, including your family and mine. Violators need to be arrested, if convicted they need to be sent a strong message.

 

[WTF]

The reason he probably ran the stop sign was to win the race. If he wasn't in a contest with someone I'm sure he would have stopped like he always does. The adrenaline of the race over road his common sense and driving ability, which caused the deaths.

Are you trying to say that if he hadn't been racing then he still would have blown through the stop sign?

Yes. I think it takes a certain kind of person to put total disregard for his own and others safety while having fun (be it racing, speeding, spirited driving, etc). The reason why I bolded 'total disregard' is because there IS a difference.

There are those who street race while trying to minimize the elevated risks and those who just don't give a shit!

I'm saying he was one of those guys who just don't give a shit. It is only a matter before he hit someone because of his attitude and it could have well not had anything to do with street racing.

 

[GTSpartan]

Street racing is DANGEROUS, plain and simple. No reason to do it.

Leave it to the track.

 

[ford_racer]

There isn't a track by my area.

And I don't go looking for races, but if someone shoots me a rev, I might race to a little above the speedlimit, conditions permitting. I always make sure there are no cars coming towards me for 2 blocks, I make sure the pavement is dry, I make sure there is no one on the street, and I make sure there is no one in my lane or any other lanes within 2 blocks. And I don't race for 2 blocks, only 1. There are also other variable such as side streets and what lights are what color and what not that also play a factor.

I'm not saying this is right or anything like that, just saying there are people who do think about the public when they choose to engage in a street race. But I know for a fact the racing in my area would be cut drastically if there was a drag strip close by. The closes drag strip here is around 200 miles away or so. Just saying not all of us get to race on a track like some others do.



This message was computer generated, in China, on a computer programmed by an illegal Mexican alien, who also happens to be liberal.

 

[SVT GuY 281SC]

There isn't a track by my area.

And I don't go looking for races, but if someone shoots me a rev, I might race to a little above the speedlimit, conditions permitting. I always make sure there are no cars coming towards me for 2 blocks, I make sure the pavement is dry, I make sure there is no one on the street, and I make sure there is no one in my lane or any other lanes within 2 blocks. And I don't race for 2 blocks, only 1. There are also other variable such as side streets and what lights are what color and what not that also play a factor.

I'm not saying this is right or anything like that, just saying there are people who do think about the public when they choose to engage in a street race. But I know for a fact the racing in my area would be cut drastically if there was a drag strip close by. The closes drag strip here is around 200 miles away or so. Just saying not all of us get to race on a track like some others do.



This message was computer generated, in China, on a computer programmed by an illegal Mexican alien, who also happens to be liberal.

haha are you serious? hahah i think you're bs'ing so you don't get flamed...i'll say it...i race...anywhere and everywhere against anything even a golf cart if it'll run me... :thumbsup:

 

[Steeda30]

You can't really group all street racers into one category, that's being racist.

There's a big difference between making a few pulls on an empty highway late at night with no other traffic around, compared to racing on a residential street/parkway, with other traffic around.

I think that the percentage of street racers involved in fatal accidents is much less than the percentage of non-street racers involved in fatal accidents.

Granted, both of them are stupid, and both are equally illegal, but one is FAR more stupid than the other.

I just don't understand why "street racing" is so hyped up and sometimes seems to be considered more immoral and hated than 1st degree murder, rape, etc.

Forget all the other people killed that same day, in the same area by other people who ran stop signs and stop lights that were not racing, right?

It is not that big of a problem, but when a street racing related accident happens, it's the end of the world. :shrug:

 

[mswaim]

Yes. I think it takes a certain kind of person to put total disregard for his own and others safety while having fun (be it racing, speeding, spirited driving, etc). The reason why I bolded 'total disregard' is because there IS a difference.

There are those who street race while trying to minimize the elevated risks and those who just don't give a shit!

I'm saying he was one of those guys who just don't give a shit. It is only a matter before he hit someone because of his attitude and it could have well not had anything to do with street racing.

The difference here is how we see the issue. You say there is a difference since some show a "total disregard", however the law sees it very differently. The act of street racing is a general intent crime, not a specific intent crime. Once you engage in the act of street racing, your intent is not important, the only thing that matters is the fact you have met all of the elements of a general intent crime. LEO's do not write the laws, we only enforce them as they are written. No one cares if you are careful, only that you participated. Hense, running the stop sign is NOT the issue, participating in a speed contest is the only thing that matters. That is the crime that led to the death. Let's not loose focus on that, someone died here, and the racers caused that death.

 

[ford_racer]

haha are you serious? hahah i think you're bs'ing so you don't get flamed...i'll say it...i race...anywhere and everywhere against anything even a golf cart if it'll run me... :thumbsup:

I couldn't care less what you think.

My point was that not all people who streetrace are as careless as those two morons. :nonono:

 

[AZSnake98]

The biggest WTF in this whole thread... is teh fact that the guy was racing in a Grand Am ---> ROFL