Debate involuntary manslaughter

i dont get it: how can you be arrested for accidentally killing someone? i mean, was it a night? was he on his cellphone? what were the circumstances?

 

Accident

Accidentally killing someone is definitely a serious crime. If it wasn't, people would kill whomever they wanted and then claim "Sorry, it was an accident".

Accidental killing is a direct synonym for Involuntary Manslaughter. A head on collision can be either driver's fault so the most important question is who was in who's lane? If the person arrested was at fault in the accident and ended up killing someone, he deserves to go to prison for a long time.

 

not for a long time i dont think. i mean, most of the time you will certainly know if it was truly a freak accident and is either persons fault, or if it was a plain, flat out murder the suspect planned to do.

 

How Long

How long then? How long should the person that accidentally swerved into oncoming traffic and accidentally killed your parents go away for?

How long should depend on the level of negligence. If the driver was talking on a cell phone, add years. If the driver was drunk, add years. If the driver was swerving to avoid a deer, subtract years......to avoid a baby carriage subtract even more years.

If you are responsible for killing another person you should go to jail. The time served should be based on your part in the death and what led up to it.

 

Wow, if you chose the laws for America we wouldn't even have a population. If someone kills another person involuntary they should serve 20 years minimum. If they were drunk and driving they should serve life. You are basically saying they should get off the hook. So basically if i wanted to kill someone i wait untill they get in their car and nail them on the highway, saying it was accidental

 

Are you kidding? I hope so. That is by no means a legitimate argument. That's why we have a court system...

That is also not true. It depends on the circumstances. My grandfather once hit and killed a woman with his car. Does that mean he's a murderer? Does that mean he should be serving a prison sentence?

The woman was wearing all dark clothes at night and she was jaywalking.

He accidentally killed her, so why was he not convicted of involuntary manslaughter? Because, by definition, involuntary manslaughter is accidental slaying as a result of recklessness or negligence.

Read up, sir.

 

Joke?

I don't really see anything joke-like in my post. I understand the purpose of the court system. Someone above downplayed the seriousness of accidental killing and I purposed a scenario that would be likely if it wasn't considered a serious crime.

 

You said:

Maybe I don't entirely understand the point you're trying to make, but it seems to me that what you've said there is not a very coherent argument.

It's not the criminal's right to decide whether a crime is serious or an accident. It's the court's right.

 

I disagree. That's such a blanket statement. Accidents are just that. What if the shoe were on the other foot? To me, accidentally killing another person could very well ruin my life without the criminal penalties.

 

No, no penalty. Living with accidentally taking alive would be hard enough.

 

For all we know he could be a crazed killer. I don't think a crazed killer would feel guilty.

 

Involuntary Manslaughter is very subjective, and I believe that the case needs to be extremely well analyzed before punishment is given. For punishment to be given, the other person would have to have been doing something that was clearly irresponsible, such as drinking and driving with a very high blood alcohol level.

Let's take this for example. Say there is a construction worker working on a building 5 stories high, and he is at the top. He begins to loose balance and in the process of regaining it, he knocks a brick over the edge. This brick falls 5 stories and so happens to nail a passerby in the head, killing him. Is it then fair for this construction worker to be punished with 20 years or more for this accident? If you say yes then I would pray that someday you are that construction worker who accidentally killed someone, because clearly it was terribly bad luck. He has to live with the knowledge his clumsiness killed someone, there is no need to treat him like a murderer as well. However, if the man was drunk while on the job, kicking bricks off the edge in his drunken stupor, then the case may be different.

Now, for this situation I still don't understand the situation. Here is what I gathered. The boy was riding with someone (his brother?) and they were stuck behind someone going slow in a single lane. So, they decided to pull out into the other lane going the opposite direction to attempt to pass. However, they hit a trucker head on. Now, if this is the case then that trucker does not deserve to be punished. When passing that way it is at your own risk. If this was in a location where such a pass wasn't even legal, then there should be no debate what-so-ever, because by breaking the law the driver got the boy killed.
Now, are they attacking the driver? That seems to be more reasonable, as he was in control of the vehicle. But should he face punishment for this act? It depends on several things. Was the pass legal or illegal? If legal, was the driver intoxicated? If not, was the boy who died forced to ride in the car with this driver, or did he voluntarily go? If he went on his own accord, this driver does not deserve to be punished. He has to face the guilt now for the rest of his life, and he made a mistake.

 

Oh, this forum is so depressing. Okay, if they can prove that the manslaughter was deliberate, then they should get time. But is they did it by accident, the guilt alone will drive them mad if they did do it deliberately. It's destory your reputation if you were ever involved in something like this, but it could happen to anyone. It's just bad luck.

 

If you really want to throw someone away for an accidental killing, don't put them in jail, put them in therapy, because they would seriously need some help to get over it unless they're really spiritually strong.

 

I partially agree with Sweeny, when the case is an obvious accident. But then there is a case like this, where the suspect has put someone else in danger, while it still being classified as an accident.

So a couple of friends are having practicing with their air soft guns (This case being in a state where air soft guns are legal). Now, this could be mislead information, but I believe that if the user of the air soft is in the confines of his/her property, it is acceptable. Now, upon shooting, the BB ricochets onto a public sidewalk. Subsequently hitting a pedestrian in a vulnerable part of their anatomy, ultimately killing them. Now, should the suspect be given time?

In a case like this, I'm glad the U.S.A has the court system we do. Being the suspect wins the case he/she is set free with not jail time, if not, the jail time the jury feels necessary is pursued. Really, I feel it all comes down to the court room.

 

well it really depends if the accident was his fault if it wasnt nothin should happento him only those responsible