Colorado a no-go for truckers

Mik · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 18:23

Those stoned m**********s are gonna get mighty hungry.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/truckers-refuse-to-enter-colorado-after-driver-who-caused-fatal-crash-gets-110-year-sentence/vi-AAS16KJ?ocid=msedgntp

Mik · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 18:24

I might add that this is what happens when people who actually contribute something to our society get pissed off.

Horace · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 18:38

That sentence is cruel and unusual.

Mik · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 18:44

Have to agree.

George K · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 19:05

I ~~was too lazy to look up~~ didn't see the charges he was found guilty of.

Was the judge bound by sentencing "guidelines?"

But, geez...110 years?

LuFins Dad · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 19:07

This is on the prosecution. They did not need to bring each of the 27 charges. Pick a couple that puts the guy in jail for 6-18 months and keeps from ever being behind the wheel of a truck again. They also could have come up with a plea deal.

Horace · 21 Dec 2021, 19:40

I heard he refused any plea deal that would result in anything more than a traffic ticket.

Doctor Phibes · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 19:19

It doesn't sound fair in the least, however that report is all from one side of the story.

LuFins Dad · H Horace 21 Dec 2021, 19:14

@horace said in Colorado a no-go for truckers:

I heard he refused any plea deal that would result in anything more than a traffic ticket.

If that’s true, then that drastically changes my opinion on this. Maybe not 101 years, but the guy passed MULTIPLE runaway truck ramps and made multiple bad decisions.

Jolly · 21 Dec 2021, 20:31

He's 23, had never driven in Colorado and was admittedly going too fast. Accidents happen. He needs to go to jail.

But not for over 100 years.

George K · J Jolly 21 Dec 2021, 19:55

@jolly and he didn't take advantage of the "runaway truck" ramps.

Negligent homicide, or something of the like, but 100 years?

Horace · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 20:47

Missing the runaway truck ramps was probably a stupid mistake on his part rather than willful bad decision that put others in harm's way. It put himself in harm's way, too, after all.

89th · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 21:39

The sentence is a result of sequential (not concurrent) sentence requirements, which seems a little silly... at least not to leave it to the judge's discretion. Anyway, he did kill what... 4 people? And the sheer number of crimes he was charged with. I don't have any of the facts other than that is a lot of death to account for, one way or another.

Also I think the vide of the log jam of trucks was because of a closed road, not a protest. At least that's what I saw in a reddit comment a few days ago. And those reddit comments are never wrong, lol.

Mik · wrote on 21 Dec 2021, 22:38

Still, a new driver, states who have relaxed requirements. Add in the fact that having trucks on the road is an inherent risk. Two lifetimes is excessive.

taiwan_girl · wrote on 22 Dec 2021, 04:10

Channeling Ax

So, he decided not to ~~get a vaccine~~ utilize the truck ramps and went too fast. It was his choice.

The individual comes first before the good of society as a whole. Should not have been even arrested.

(Of course, I am being tongue in cheek with the above)

jon-nyc · 23 Dec 2021, 12:22

https://reason.com/2021/12/22/rogel-aguilera-mederos-rejected-a-plea-deal-so-he-got-110-years-in-prison/?utm_content=bufferf1953&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

George K · 23 Dec 2021, 13:12

@jon-nyc interesting article.

Basically, the government said, "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?"

LuFins Dad · 23 Dec 2021, 13:41

@george-k said in Colorado a no-go for truckers:

@jon-nyc interesting article.

Basically, the government said, "Do you feel lucky, punk? Well do ya?"

The bigger issue is that’s the common practice today. This case gets the attention, but there are thousands like it. Maybe not as severe, but unjust as hell. Then there are the millions of cases that did take the plea because of the fear instilled by the prosecution.

And it’s not even that it seems corrupt or wrong at first glance. It looks like it is simply an attempt at efficiency and who wouldn’t argue for more efficiency? But somewhere along the lines they pushed it too far and those abuses became commonplace. So commonplace that they become hard for people to recognize as an abuse, it becomes “the system”.

This is one of those type of things that leads reasonable people to believe in a systemic racism built into the system. After all, these type of plea deal nightmares are going to disproportionately effect people of color more than caucasians since the BIPOC have disproportionately more interactions with the judicial system. But it’s not a racial thing at all. I would say it’s an economic issue first. Can you afford an attorney that can and will actually help you fight for your rights? Or are you getting a public defender that wants to rubber stamp your case as quickly as possible?

Either way, as I mentioned above, this is on the Prosecution. Unfortunately, the judge’s hands were tied, as were the jury’s.

jon-nyc · wrote on 23 Dec 2021, 13:21

Mandatory sentencing is to blame as well.

89th · wrote on 23 Dec 2021, 13:41

@lufins-dad Good post. As with all things, there was a 60 minutes segment about this a few years ago, and unfortunately it really is common practice. Not enough resources in the judicial system (lawyers, judges, et al), the economics, etc.

Do we know what he was offered as a plea? If both sides of the case do truly admit that the brakes gave out, what other criminal acts did he commit. Not using the runaway ramp? Ok, I get it. Was he going too fast for the conditions?

I ask because if I was driving and caused the deaths of 4 people and critical injuries to others, I would be damn sure there was no culpability anywhere to be found before I rejected a plea deal.

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Colorado a no-go for truckers