Teen who killed cyclist in DUI hit-and-run sentenced to 1 year, 10 days - Polidicks

[quote]An Anchorage 18-year-old will serve 1 year and 10 days in prison for the hit-and-run death of a bicyclist, under sentencing announced in court today. Alexandra Ellis pleaded guilty to negligent homicide for the 2014 drunken-driving collision in South Anchorage that killed Jeff Holder-Dusenbury, 51. Dusenbury had been riding his bike on a residential street at the time of his death.[/quote] [url]http://m.ktuu.com/news/teen-who-killed-cyclist-in-hitandrun-crash-sentenced-to-1-year-10-days/34806756[/url]

DUI hit and run and only 1 year? What a joke.

[QUOTE=itisjuly;48511935]DUI hit and run and only 1 year? What a joke.[/QUOTE] and underage to top if all off, you have to be 21 to drink in the states.

Why 1 year? Alaska's got leniency, or shes got good lawyers? That's pretty bullshit considering it was a hit and run.

Drunk and taking Ecstacy earlier that night, still decided to drive.

[QUOTE]Ellis was 17 at the time of the crash.[/QUOTE] For everyone wondering why the sentence was only 1 year.

"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48511978]"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.[/QUOTE] Good game, thread over

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48511978]"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.[/QUOTE] The issue is moreover if one year will really teach her the lesson she needs. Yeah a year is a year but she was drinking underaged, drove drunk, killed someone, etc and got off extremely light

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48511978]"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.[/QUOTE] I don't think a longer sentence is necessary either, however it kinda makes a mockery of the justice system when you can get shitfaced on mollies and alcohol, get behind a wheel, and kill someone and get off with a lighter sentence than a lot of victimless crimes.

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48511978]"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.[/QUOTE] 1 year is not appropriate for a drunk driver involved in a fatal hit and run.

No probation or anything else?

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48511978]"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.[/QUOTE] A year or two more won't ruin anyone's life. She was DUI, underage, and hit and run. Rehab all you like but 1 year is not enough. A life was lost due to her being irresponsible as fuck.

[QUOTE=Vodkavia;48512095]FP REALLY needs to stop underestimating the effect of a criminal record on peoples' lives. Omagorsh he only got X years, he should get arbitrary large number y! They've gone on record for killing someone on LSD and will be locked up like a zoo animal for a year; There is no possible way a person in such a mess can ever live a normal life free of that bearing down on them. Locking them up for a number of years that warms the public's heart wont fucking fix anything.[/QUOTE] This is basically what I try and say in every thread, I trust the judgement of an Alaskan judge more than the knee-jerk reaction of some angry teen on Facepunch. [editline]21st August 2015[/editline] People underestimate how long a year is, how much it effects your life to basically miss an entire year so early in it. You could've gone to college, saved up funds to go to college, gotten a job and a good living and live on your own, and now she gets to have a late-start to adulthood with felony charges on her record. 1 year is enough, stop with this emotional-based retribution bullshit, that isn't how justice should work. This is made even more ironic because a lot of the same people would claim to be for a "Rehabilitation based" prison system. You don't give people stupidly massive sentences for crimes in a rehabilitation-based system unless they're like, a pre-meditated mass shooter.

I find it ridiculous that people get worse sentences for lighter crimes. If someone can get more than 2 years for the simple possession of cannabis, of course I'd call for a larger sentence for a DUI that resulted in involuntary manslaughter.

[QUOTE=AbioFlesh;48512334]I find it ridiculous that people get worse sentences for lighter crimes. If someone can get more than 2 years for the simple possession of cannabis, of course I'd call for a larger sentence for a DUI that resulted in involuntary manslaughter.[/QUOTE] Maybe We should not punish people as harshly for lighter crimes instead

[QUOTE=AbioFlesh;48512334]I find it ridiculous that people get worse sentences for lighter crimes. If someone can get more than 2 years for the simple possession of cannabis, of course I'd call for a larger sentence for a DUI that resulted in involuntary manslaughter.[/QUOTE] People have gotten life sentences for cannabis possession

[QUOTE=AbioFlesh;48512334]I find it ridiculous that people get worse sentences for lighter crimes. If someone can get more than 2 years for the simple possession of cannabis, of course I'd call for a larger sentence for a DUI that resulted in involuntary manslaughter.[/QUOTE] why not reduce (or just eliminate) sentences for victimless crimes like that, and be fine with how this case turned out too? For an 18 year old that committed a crime like this one year and 10 days is quite a major thing in their life. Would 5 years cause her to have a considerably different outlook to driving while intoxicated than a 1 year sentence, or would it just throw an even larger chunk of her life for no real reason other than vengeance?

[QUOTE=thelurker1234;48512468]why not reduce (or just eliminate) sentences for victimless crimes like that, and be fine with how this case turned out too? For an 18 year old that committed a crime like this one year and 10 days is quite a major thing in their life. Would 5 years cause her to have a considerably different outlook to driving while intoxicated than a 1 year sentence, or would it just throw an even larger chunk of her life for no real reason other than vengeance?[/QUOTE] I'd say 5 years in the clink would probably make her more unstable and more unable to adapt to the outside world than one year I'd rather she be put on probation longer than she be put in prison. Rather her be watched than stowed away

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48512115]This is basically what I try and say in every thread, I trust the judgement of an Alaskan judge more than the knee-jerk reaction of some angry teen on Facepunch. [editline]21st August 2015[/editline] People underestimate how long a year is, how much it effects your life to basically miss an entire year so early in it. You could've gone to college, saved up funds to go to college, gotten a job and a good living and live on your own, and now she gets to have a late-start to adulthood with felony charges on her record. 1 year is enough, stop with this emotional-based retribution bullshit, that isn't how justice should work. This is made even more ironic because a lot of the same people would claim to be for a "Rehabilitation based" prison system. You don't give people stupidly massive sentences for crimes in a rehabilitation-based system unless they're like, a pre-meditated mass shooter.[/QUOTE] Yeah. Yeah you could have gone to college. Instead you mixed drugs and killed someone. You missed one year of school. That man missed decades that were stolen from him. Children and grandchildren will remember him as the man who was killed by some drunk teen that got a year of her life taken in trade for decades of someone else's when it was her fault. If prison is so arbitrary to you then what is your suggestion? Yeah she has a record of killing someone under the influence. Maybe she shouldn't have done the crime. I have literally no remorse for people who do stupid stuff like this. Give them a second chance, sure. I would have a sister by marriage but instead I've grown up learning the pain everyone experiences when they lose a child to a car crash. I understand that this is something this woman needs to live with. I get that. But she took a life. How is she reprimanded by that? Do you just say the mental scar is punishment enough? I'm not saying kill her and I'm not saying life in jail. But if you think a long prison sentence is ineffective, then what is your alternative? Therapy? I'm sure she knew prior mixing ecstacy and alcohol before legally even being of age for alcohol and then driving under the influence was wrong before she did this. I highly doubt a doctor trying to tell her this after the fact will help.

[QUOTE=Archonos 2;48512578]Yeah. Yeah you could have gone to college. Instead you mixed drugs and killed someone. You missed one year of school. That man missed decades that were stolen from him. Children and grandchildren will remember him as the man who was killed by some drunk teen that got a year of her life taken in trade for decades of someone else's when it was her fault. If prison is so arbitrary to you then what is your suggestion? Yeah she has a record of killing someone under the influence. Maybe she shouldn't have done the crime. I have literally no remorse for people who do stupid stuff like this. Give them a second chance, sure. I would have a sister by marriage but instead I've grown up learning the pain everyone experiences when they lose a child to a car crash.[/QUOTE] I'm not saying she should get away scot-free, I think her sentence is appropriate. I'm just saying arbitrarily throwing out "x number until it makes me feel right" isn't how you punish people.

So you're just saying that for, while under the influence of 2 drugs at the age of 17, driving and killing someone gets just 1 year in prison and that's it. Truly just being clear. I just don't see 1 year of "sit and think on it" can do all that much. Then what after? "You learned your lesson now enjoy college?" I'm not mocking you or anything either, to be clear.

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48511978]"I don't think 1 year is enough to ruin this kid's life, let's make it 10!" You can't be for "Rehabilitation of criminals" and think this way.[/QUOTE] What do you think the ideal sentence for taking another life is?

[QUOTE=Yahnich;48512714]"my desire to seek vengeance is greater than my forgiveness" i think the punishment is fine, maybe take away her driving license for like another year after prison and it's honestly fine; she fucked up hard but adding more years to her sentence won't solve anything and will only make her more of a potential criminal afterwards a year is FUCKING LONG, it's plenty of time to repent and get her act together[/QUOTE] I don't think she should be allowed a license ever, she has obviously showed she is not responsible enough to drive.

[QUOTE=thelurker1234;48512468]why not reduce (or just eliminate) sentences for victimless crimes like that, and be fine with how this case turned out too? For an 18 year old that committed a crime like this one year and 10 days is quite a major thing in their life. Would 5 years cause her to have a considerably different outlook to driving while intoxicated than a 1 year sentence, or would it just throw an even larger chunk of her life for no real reason other than vengeance?[/QUOTE] I'd support that, but I'm not the one sentencing these people.

[QUOTE=duckmaster;48512755]I don't think she should be allowed a license ever, she has obviously showed she is not responsible enough to drive.[/QUOTE] i dunno man 17-year olds still have a lot of growing up to do

[QUOTE=Yahnich;48512714]"my desire to seek vengeance is greater than my forgiveness" i think the punishment is fine, maybe take away her driving license for like another year after prison and it's honestly fine; she fucked up hard but adding more years to her sentence won't solve anything and will only make her more of a potential criminal afterwards a year is FUCKING LONG, it's plenty of time to repent and get her act together[/QUOTE] What exactly are you quoting, oh wise one? And I don't have some bloodthirsty desire for vengeance here. But I don't understand how everyone is so upset by those surprised by the sentence. You took many many years from someone. So taking one from her is wrong? [editline]21st August 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;48512701]What do you think the ideal sentence for taking another life is?[/QUOTE] This is exactly what I'm asking, too.

[QUOTE=Archonos 2;48512780]What exactly are you quoting, oh wise one? And I don't have some bloodthirsty desire for vengeance here. But I don't understand how everyone is so upset by those surprised by the sentence. You took many many years from someone. So taking one from her is wrong?[/QUOTE] Nobody is disagreeing with a year being appropriate, they're disagreeing with the ones who are saying it needs to be longer than that

[QUOTE=Aldawolf;48512624]I'm not saying she should get away scot-free, I think her sentence is appropriate. I'm just saying arbitrarily throwing out "x number until it makes me feel right" isn't how you punish people.[/QUOTE] So wait, how are the laws that decide the number of years that a person serves any different than opinion? If you can provide some factual way to substantiate taking one person's life, or multiple people's lives, and convert that into some form of punishment, then please do so. You come into every thread where what most people would consider the charges a slap on the wrist and get on some high horse about how we can't do justice based on feelings or some thing, which nobody is really saying. There really is no way justice is even created without feelings or morals anyways, because both will differ from person to person. [editline]21st August 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Aldawolf;48512115]This is basically what I try and say in every thread, I trust the judgement of an Alaskan judge more than the knee-jerk reaction of some angry teen on Facepunch. [editline]21st August 2015[/editline] People underestimate how long a year is, how much it effects your life to basically miss an entire year so early in it. You could've gone to college, saved up funds to go to college, gotten a job and a good living and live on your own, and now she gets to have a late-start to adulthood with felony charges on her record. 1 year is enough, stop with this emotional-based retribution bullshit, that isn't how justice should work. This is made even more ironic because a lot of the same people would claim to be for a "Rehabilitation based" prison system. You don't give people stupidly massive sentences for crimes in a rehabilitation-based system unless they're like, a pre-meditated mass shooter.[/QUOTE] You know, I think you really underestimate how long a life is. The 51 year old man, or anyone else she could have hit, could have gone around the world, reconnected with old friends, etc. But now he's dead. 1 year is ridiculously small compared to the nature of the crime. When you take those drugs you know you shouldn't be behind the wheel, and more likely than not someone will die. 1 year hardly gives you enough time to think of your crime. And since you're all for rehab, wouldn't having her in a place where she can be rehabilitated be better than letting her out to sort things out on her own?

a year is probably enough for somebody to be rehabilitated though