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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Dead Vermont cyclist
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2025 22:07:10 -0500
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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On 3/13/2025 9:41 PM, John B. wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 18:42:21 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:53:04 -0400, Catrike Ryder
>> <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:42:13 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:18:58 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 3/13/2025 2:11 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>>>>> On Thu, 13 Mar 2025 04:50:30 -0400, Catrike Ryder
>>>>>> <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Wed, 12 Mar 2025 19:55:56 -0500, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14490079/Vermont-police-crash-cyclist-Kapitanski-Sean-Hayes.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cop cars laptops can show him Youtube? Can he also tune in "Dancing
>>>>>>> with the Stars?" and "Howard Stern?" That's likely the kind of garbage
>>>>>>> that moron would watch.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If he had a smartphone with internet connectivity he could run a web
>>>>>> browser on the smartphone and watch any kind of streaming content
>>>>>> including YouTube.  If he had a tablet with a built in LTE cellular
>>>>>> modem, he could also use the tablet for watching YouTube.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Public safety smartphones and tablets"
>>>>>> <https://www.samsung.com/us/business/solutions/industries/public-safety/smartphones-tablets/>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Whether the phone or tablet was issued by the police department or was
>>>>>> owned by the officer for personal use is unknown.
>>>>>
>>>>> Semi truck drivers are convicted regularly after watching
>>>>> videos on a telephone or more frequently tapping out texts.
>>>>> When things go badly, that is construed as criminal
>>>>> negligence. As well it should be.
>>>>
>>>> It would be nice if the court would suspend his drivers license and
>>>> give him a desk job.  Have him drive to work on a bicycle and see how
>>>> long he survives.  If that's too harsh, maybe put him on a freeway
>>>> debris cleanup crew.  The punishment should fit the crime.
>>>
>>> He killed a guy. Put him in prison.
>>
>> Yep.  That would be involuntary manslaughter.  In California, that's
>> good for 4 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.  I couldn't find
>> the numbers for Vermont.
>>
>> The problem is that incarceration is not cheap.  It costs about
>> $134,000/year to incarcerate someone in Vermont:
>> <https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cost-per-prisoner-in-us-states/>
>> The 4 year maximum penalty will cost the state of Vermont:
>>   4 x $134,000 = $536,000
>> I suspect Vermont taxpayers can find something better on which to
>> spend their money.
>>
>> Instead, lets go back to bad olde days of "blood money".
>> <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blood%20money>
>> The perpetrator pays the family of the deceased.  It's considered
>> standard practice in the middle east and I think in parts of SE Asia.
>> Here's a typical rate schedule for Saudi Arabia.
>> <https://jeddahpcg.dfa.gov.ph/qisas-and-diyya-or-blood-money>
>> One Saudi Riyal is currently $0.27 US.
>>
>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_money_in_Islam>
>> "While Saudi judges have the last say in any settlement, as of 2011,
>> diya price for a Muslim man, in Saudi Arabia, was SR300,000 ($80,000)
>> for an accidental death and SR400,000 ($106,666) in premeditated
>> murder.  The price was raised that year due to a rise in the price of
>> camels."
>>
>> For the current situation, I suspect having the officer contribute 1/3
>> of his income to the family for some number of years would be fair to
>> all involved, except perhaps those who believe that begging for money
>> on GoFundMe.com is a fair solution.  That's certainly better than
>> burning half a million dollars to feed and house the perpetrator while
>> allowing the victims family to descend into poverty.
>>
>> Simple solutions don't work.
> 
> I don't know about Saudi but in some SEA countries there is a bit more
> to your easy-peasy "It's considered standard practice.....
> The family has to agree to accept the money in lieu of execution.

Here in Wisconsin, "Homicide by negligent operation of a 
vehicle"

https://wilawlibrary.gov/elements/elements-940.html#10-1

Can bring up to ten years (which is normally five plus 5 on 
parole) and a fine may be added up to $25,000:

https://legalclarity.org/negligent-homicide-in-wisconsin-laws-penalties-and-defenses/

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971