A Texas judge has ordered an unusual extra punishment for a man convicted of driving drunk and killing a 20-year-old man.
There are a number of ways to serve time for drunk driving and killing someone. Most involve various periods of time in jail, a suspended license, community service, court ordered AA programs and the like. Few involve ordering a convicted man to wear a handmade sign spelling out his crime, that he killed a man, whose name is to also appear on the sign.
The 39-year-old offender just got out of prison after serving what appears to many to be too short a sentence – 90 days for DUI and killing someone. He ran a red light at a Houston intersection and slammed into another car, killing the driver. The offender has a two-year probation period to complete, and as part of that process, the sentencing justice ordered him to wear a sign, in public, saying he killed a man while driving under the influence. He is to wear it for four consecutive Saturdays, wear an ankle bracelet to monitor his movements, and have a framed picture of the dead man on display in his home.
Whether or not this kind of in your face probation will work, is questionable with this individual, as the offender evidently has a long history of DWI. Witnesses at the scene of the fatal wreck told the court that the man was wandering around trying to find more to drink, even though he had just killed someone. With that kind of behavior, it does not bode well for the man’s successful rehabilitation. However, the court was willing to try something different, in the hopes that it might work.
The convicted drunk driver will sport the sign from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the very location where the accident took place; the spot where the dead man’s mother had created a temporary memorial for her son. While the mother and friend’s of the family think it will force the felon to show more accountability, if he is a dedicated drinker, as the court suspects, this novel sentence will not faze him. Chances are he will reoffend.
The issue here is not so much the sentence, but the fact that the man was negligent in drinking to excess, and then driving in such a manner as to kill someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. The negligence is a vital element when pursuing a civil case for wrongful death, against such an individual. You will need to talk to an experienced Austin personal injury lawyer to get the full scope of your rights in a situation like this one. If you want justice and a fair settlement or trial, you need an Austin personal injury lawyer by your side. Someone needs to stand up for your rights.
Bobby Lee is an Austin personal injury lawyer for The Lee Law Firm. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from The Lee Law Firm. Visit RWLeelaw..
