Road Rage - 2 years in Jail - too Harse?

[wcknight]

A Virginia women, mother of 2 young kids got a 2 year sentence for tossing a soda (from McDonalds -meaning it was probably a paper or styro cup) at another car. Is this an outrageous sentence ???

I think it clearly falls under the cruel and unusual punishment category.

 

[Della]

It sounds like too harsh a punishment to me, too. I’d have given her a large fine, several hours of community service, and time in an anger management class.

Of course, she put those on the road with her in danger. Depending on how the other driver reacted, it could have been really bad, with lots of injured or even dead people. I think she has to be made aware of that fact, but sitting in jail for 2 years isn’t going to do that.

 

[Jason_Hurd]

Della has a point about the endangerment issue. I would imagine that is probably what the judge had in mind when handing down this sentence. Behaving recklessly on the road, especially throwing things at other vehicles, is the action of someone who is apparently unclear on just how dangerous the behavior is.

 

[wcknight]

The state clearly wanted to send a message, and I agree 100% that some projectiles can be deadly. A soda, unless it blocks the vision of the driver, can hardly be considered deadly.

Road rage is a big problem on our roads and highways, but we need to temper justice with reason. When we get too harse, the lessons get lost and the message comes across as the state just being mean spirited and unreasonable.

A few days or weeks in jail, and maybe a big fine would have been appropriate. 2 years is a bit outrageous. I never did like Virginia, and this sort of thing drops it down to the bottom as far as decent places to live.

The other mitigating circumstance is that the women had no prior arrest record. Up until then she had been a model citizen.

 

[Della]

The state clearly wanted to send a message, and I agree 100% that some projectiles can be deadly. A soda, unless it blocks the vision of the driver, can hardly be considered deadly.

Road rage is a big problem on our roads and highways, but we need to temper justice with reason. When we get too harse, the lessons get lost and the message comes across as the state just being mean spirited and unreasonable.

A few days or weeks in jail, and maybe a big fine would have been appropriate. 2 years is a bit outrageous. I never did like Virginia, and this sort of thing drops it down to the bottom as far as decent places to live.

The other mitigating circumstance is that the women had no prior arrest record. Up until then she had been a model citizen.

Well, it isn’t the soda itself that was dangerous, but how another driver, going down the road at even 30 mpr and overreacting by jerking his/her car over or losing control from the surprise of having something land on his/her windshield that is the problem.

I also think the judge was too harsh on this woman, but she really does need to understand that this could have had a very bad outcome. I do agree that 2 years in jail probably isn’t going to send that message as much as it’s going to incure outrage–as I said in my last post.

 

[mary_bobo]

It sounds like too harsh a punishment to me, too. I’d have given her a large fine, several hours of community service, and time in an anger management class.

Of course, she put those on the road with her in danger. Depending on how the other driver reacted, it could have been really bad, with lots of injured or even dead people. I think she has to be made aware of that fact, but sitting in jail for 2 years isn’t going to do that.

Two weeks might have been enough if she also had been forced to attent anger management classes.

 

[ribozyme]

A Virginia women, mother of 2 young kids got a 2 year sentence for tossing a soda (from McDonalds -meaning it was probably a paper or styro cup) at another car. Is this an outrageous sentence ???

I think it clearly falls under the cruel and unusual punishment category.

If “Dr.” Kent Hovind (who for years did not pay his taxes and he made millions) gets sentenced for less than two years, then this would be unfair punishment.

 

[kim3260]

I would say maybe 15-30 days in county jail, to send a message, but I do agree 2 years is a little to much UNLESS she had prior “anger issues” or other problems while driving (reckless, aggressive, speeding, DUI’s) then in that case not only 2 years but loss of driving privledge for a period after she gets out. Aggressive driving kills. I has to be stopped somewhere.

 

[Bobby_Jim]

Don’t forget a big fat fine for LITTERING. I can’t stand it when people treat the world as their trashcan. Gives me road rage.

 

[Durendin]

I’m normally a “hang them high” type when it comes to punishment, but I think this is a bit much for a first offence when you consider how lightly some hardened criminals get off for more serious offences.

Playing armchair judge, two or three years suspended and a fine would have been punishment enough, maybe even a licence revoking for a year on top. Two years hard time? She probably wasn’t rich enough to avoid it.