15-Year-Old Texas Boy Charged With Murder In Deaths Of 9 Illegal Immigrants

Originally posted by BenReclused
reply to post by OhZone

 

I totally disagree with the charge of anything other than reckless driving and without a license carting illegals, that would be aiding and abetting a criminal activity.

Would you feel the same way if the kid had crashed into another car, and killed one of your family members?

After all, according to you: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT.

I'm actually looking forward to your response, though I have a strong feeling it will be just as ignorant as that post was.

See ya,
Milt

Yes, it would be an accident. I could not in good conscience demand that he be charged with murder.

When I was 4 years old I was in a car involved in a head-on collision. I was thrown out of the car and suffered a brain concussion. There was no criminal charges against the driver who caused it. Actually they were the ones worse off for it. The guy's wife was pretty well cut up, In the ambulance I regained consciousness enough to see her lying there covered with blood.

reply to post by OhZone

When I was 4 years old I was in a car involved in a head-on collision. I was thrown out of the car and suffered a brain concussion. There was no criminal charges against the driver who caused it. Actually they were the ones worse off for it. The guy's wife was pretty well cut up, In the ambulance I regained consciousness enough to see her lying there covered with blood.

What did the other driver do that caused the accident?

Prosecutors will sometimes over-charge a person in order to start high when plea bargaining begins. It is easier to over-charge and come down, than to under charge and go up.

reply to post by cbaskins

I read the article you linked to and, as far as I'm concerned, Justine Winter's first parole hearing is far too soon!

See ya,
Milt

PS: I'm going to check into "screenwriter". It sounds interesting!

I don't know? I don't think we should just shove 17 year old girls who already have enough on their plate in jail based on ego. Her grades were near perfect, and even the community testified on her behalf on how good her behavior was. 30 years is pretty steep, and I know that the pregnant mother's family is pretty P.O., but we have to take into consideration, she doesn't remember not one part of the event. That is why she was unable to show remorsae. BTW, if she was guilty due to what she had done based on an emotional decision, manslaughter at the most. Dungeons are no place for anyone, maybe a mental institute at the most.


reply to post by BenReclused

Originally posted by OhZone
reply to post by Juggernog

 

The loss of life is irrelavent to the case, it is collateral damage - unintended.
Ok so he has another charge - fleeing and alluding.

I guess that you dont understand Texas Law, look it up, its just a google search away.
If you cause the death of another during the commission of a felony, you are responsible for that death.

reply to post by cbaskins

According to her text messages before her collision, she was going to try to commit suicide by wrecking her car. She apparently tried to do so by driving directly into oncoming traffic, instead of trying for a tree or power pole. That was, regardless of whether she remembered the incident, a reckless disregard for the lives of others. As it turns out, she killed a pregnant mother and her 13 year old son. The jury was convinced by the evidence, and I have no doubt that she was convinced of her involvement in their deaths as well.

She couldn't even bring herself to apologize for her involvement in the collision. Instead she apologized for forgetting about the incident. At best, that was an insult to the family of the victims.

Her first parole date is in 7 1/2 years. That is way too soon, if she can't currently accept responsibility for her actions.

I sure as hell don't feel sorry for her. I feel sorry for the victims and their family. You are correct though, if she gets out in 7 1/2 years, "justice was not served".

See ya,
Milt

Originally posted by LevelHeaded
reply to post by ReadAwhile

 

Just because they want to send a message and try him as an adult does not warrant the murder charge. The deaths resulted from a vehicle accident.

Well, it wasn't an 'accident'. He was smuggling illegals and was running from the border patrol and while driving like a reckless nut he lost control and people died. It isn't as if he is innocent. He did create the conditions in which the people died. Now, if he was just tooling along and following all traffic rules and somehow accidentally crashed and people died then I would agree, murder wouldn't be appropriate. However, in this case. Maybe so.

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by KnightFire

 

How about targeting the group that hired an underage kid to smuggle humans into the country?

Unless they actually think a 15 year old thought of this plan himself? I doubt they are that stupid.. I'm sure there is a smuggling gang behind this whole operation.

That's what I said in an earlier post. I completely agree, they should be going after the people that put this boy behind the wheel of that van.

Additional Information:

The boy, whose name was not released because of his age, told police that human smugglers threatened to kill his family if he did not take the wheel of a van that rolled over on U.S. Highway 83 on April 10 in Palmview, Texas, said Chris Barrera, the city's police chief.

The boy, a U.S. citizen, is among six others from the United States and Mexico who face immigrant harboring charges in U.S. District Court, Barrera said. Seventeen illegal immigrants were in the van when it rolled over after Border Patrol agents pursued it, he said.

(Source)