r/IdiotsInCars Aug 12 '21

Apparently wearing a red shirt and standing in front of a car isn't enough to be visible to some...

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u/HittingSmoke Aug 12 '21

Because it's not murder. Words have meanings and while it's tragic, the described crime is not murder. It's manslaughter. Manslaughter is a lesser crime than murder because of intent. The level of manslaughter (varies by jurisdiction) is going to depend on the circumstances. Within that, the sentencing recommendation is going to vary based on circumstances. Those circumstances may involve what led to the event as well as what the prosecutor believes they can prove in court.

Sentencing is complicated and the replies about rich people not getting charged are just ignorant speculation.

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u/embeddedGuy Aug 12 '21

You say it's not murder but theres tons of cases of road rage where someone intentionally hits and kills cyclists and get off incredibly lightly. It's not just car accidents where it's treated far more lightly.

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u/alwaysscribles Aug 13 '21

Key word is Intent

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u/Master-Wordsmith Aug 13 '21

A valid distinction, but not necessarily a relevant one.

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u/HittingSmoke Aug 13 '21

It's entirely relevant. The question was why the guy only got two years for "murder".

The reality is sentencing is complicated. I answered the question. I'm not sure how answering a simple question of "Why?" with the correct answer needs to be controversial.