Man kills drunk driver who killed his children, was he right?

This actually happened a few years ago. Essentially this man witnessed his children struck and killed by a drunk driver. In despair he goes inside his house and gets his gun and comes back and shoots and kills the driver..who was a 20 yr. old male.

Anyways he obviously is arrested, but he more or less ends up not serving any jail time.

I guess I'm wondering, was this right or wrong? Not just what the man did, but the fact he got away with it? Since personally I can't find any real issue with the sentence this man received.

I personally think it was wrong. I mean not too many people would convict him but it doesn't change the fact he took a life that at the time wasn't threatening him

What race was he?

But no, I don't think he was wrong. The way you worded it, this all happened in a short span of time. Like Drunk guy hit kids > Dad saw > Dad got his gun > Dad killed guy. All in a few minutes.

I'd argue it was a crime of passion, or temporary insanity, especially if they were "children" as in under 12 years old and not just his kids. The grief of seeing your children killed a few feet away from you because someone was too dumb to not drink and drive would probably drive me over the edge too.

Yep the kids were under 12 and the guy was hispanic.

Another thing is that if the father had done nothing I feel it would be likely this driver wouldn't face serious consequences. I don't think he'd get life in prison or anything like that.

Especially if the guy had no prior record of any incidents like this..if he served any jail time it probably wouldn't be a lot. He essentially wouldn't of gotten the sentence he deserved because his lawyers would argue he didn't do it on purpose. Which isn't a valid excuse unless someone tied him down and force fed him booze and then forced him to get into a car and drive. He chose to drink and he chose to drive.

This isn't the Middle Ages, you can't just kill for revenge. He should serve time for manslaughter at least.

It was not right but I would do the same.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
This isn't the Middle Ages, you can't just kill for revenge. He should serve time for manslaughter at least.

If the father hadn't done what he did do you feel the driver would of gotten the sentence he deserved? I.E. life in prison?

Not a chance in hell. Drunk drivers rarely, if ever, get the sentence they deserve.

Originally posted by Surtur
This actually happened a few years ago. Essentially this man witnessed his children struck and killed by a drunk driver. In despair he goes inside his house and gets his gun and comes back and shoots and kills the driver..who was a 20 yr. old male.

Anyways he obviously is arrested, but he more or less ends up not serving any jail time.

I guess I'm wondering, was this right or wrong? Not just what the man did, but the fact he got away with it? Since personally I can't find any real issue with the sentence this man received.

Originally posted by Surtur
If the father hadn't done what he did do you feel the driver would of gotten the sentence he deserved? I.E. life in prison?

The drunk driver may have hated himself so much for doing this he turned his life around and helped a lot of people. Or he could have have committed suicide. Or maybe that would have happened but once again someone took Justice into their own hands

Anyone ever notice that when these drunk pieces of shit drink and drive and get into accidents..more often then not it's innocent people who die while the drunk survives? Doesn't happen 100% of the time, but still.

Originally posted by Newjak
The problem is that now we will never know because the father became a vigilante.

The drunk driver may have hated himself so much for doing this he turned his life around and helped a lot of people. Or he could have have committed suicide. Or maybe that would have happened but once again someone took Justice into their own hands

You can't seriously think the guy would of gotten life in prison.

I think it was wrong, I think the father should serve years of jail time, I also think the driver should have faced some jail time, but definitely not life in prison.

It was wrong for him to kill the guy. But I would have done the same. I am happy he did not get jail time. Drunk driver got what he deserved.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think it was wrong, I think the father should serve years of jail time, I also think the driver should have faced some jail time, but definitely not life in prison.

So I take it you don't believe in "temporary insanity" as a valid defense in certain circumstances? Should that as a defense be thrown out and never used in any cases?

I think the circumstances of a crime should be taken into account, but I don't think "temporary insanity" should by default mean that someone doesn't have to face legal consequences

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think the circumstances of a crime should be taken into account, but I don't think "temporary insanity" should by default mean that someone doesn't have to face legal consequences

But wouldn't you agree seeing your children run down right before your eyes would pretty much make the defense in this case valid?

You also say you think the driver should get jail time, but not life in prison. Even though the children he killed can never enjoy life again. What kind of sentence do you feel the driver would of gotten. He most likely wouldn't get life in prison, but do you think the sentence would of been what he deserved? I would think 10-15 years in jail should be the minimum. Hell if you remember the whole thing where the guys occupied that building in Oregon or Washington or whatever? And how they were pissed people had been thrown back in jail because they didn't serve the mandatory time. Which was 5 years..for arson.

So would you agree that if we sentence people to a minimum 5 years for arson(where nobody died) that someone who drinks and drives and kills multiple children should get a substantially longer sentence?

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think it was wrong, I think the father should serve years of jail time, I also think the driver should have faced some jail time, but definitely not life in prison.

Originally posted by Surtur
But wouldn't you agree seeing your children run down right before your eyes would pretty much make the defense in this case valid?

You also say you think the driver should get jail time, but not life in prison. Even though the children he killed can never enjoy life again. What kind of sentence do you feel the driver would of gotten. He most likely wouldn't get life in prison, but do you think the sentence would of been what he deserved? I would think 10-15 years in jail should be the minimum. Hell if you remember the whole thing where the guys occupied that building in Oregon or Washington or whatever? And how they were pissed people had been thrown back in jail because they didn't serve the mandatory time. Which was 5 years..for arson.

So would you agree that if we sentence people to a minimum 5 years for arson(where nobody died) that someone who drinks and drives and kills multiple children should get a substantially longer sentence?

No, I wouldn't agree with either of your "wouldn't you agree" questions. I do not think we as society should accept people killing other people in grief. And I also think that 15 years for drunken vehicular manslaughter is too much.

He wouldn't and should not serve jail time. There is a defensive argument called "temporary insanity." It has worked many times. Yes, you can lose your shit completely and do stuff you would never do. Watching your children MURDERED (second degree murder, bitches) right in front of your eyes is certainly something that can drive any normal person insane for a bit.

Maybe the father has to pay the penalty of giving lectures to high school students on the dangers of drunk driving for a year, once a month, to local high schools? Seems like something the father would be willing to do AND it could, perhaps, save lives.

But I cannot see any legit reason to force the father to serve prison time for going ape-shit after watching his children be murdered by a drunk driver. IMO, it is cruel and unusual.

Originally posted by riv6672
Sure, he was right. (I'd have done the same)
Its good he got away with it, too. (I would be willing to do the jail time)
He mustve had a good lawyer. (Hopefully mine would be that good)

Gotta say, if both of them were his children, then he really doesn't need to stay out of prison, anyway, for killing the drunk driver.

If he had other children then he shouldn't be selfish and remove himself from their lives because children need their father.

In other words, some penalties are worth it. If that guy killed his only 2 children...then he can afford to be selfish.

Originally posted by Bardock42
No, I wouldn't agree with either of your "wouldn't you agree" questions. I do not think we as society should accept people killing other people in grief. And I also think that 15 years for drunken vehicular manslaughter is too much.