Ah what can I say. So many things. It is a case on trial right now in Ft. Worth, Texas. A woman hit a man with her car late at night, and he went right through her windshield into her passenger seat, and she drove home, and left him in her garage to bleed to death. She blames it all on Ecstacy, says she had half a pill of it.

Here is a link where you can see text about the details.

Click on "Full Story"

http://www.courttv.com/home_news/index.html

Then, if you click on "Watch Sentencing Video" (I have Real Player so had no problem seeing it, but can't say how it will go if you don't have Real Player), they actually have the entire testimony, her telling how it all happened, being questioned by first her defense lawyer, then later the lawyer for the prosecution. It is a pretty lengthy video, it is divided into four pages/sections as you will see. Again, it ran fine though on my end with Real Player, and I only have the free version 8 I installed two years ago.

Here is the link where the video is at:

http://www.courttv.com/video/

I'd just like to hear some feedback on what you guys think. She is obviously guilty, but would you nail her to the wall, maximum penalty, life in prison, or would you be able to forgive her, see some kind of possible redemption, and give her a lighter sentence, i.e., less time in prison, and a lot of community service afterwards?

Why would you possibly wish to let her walk?

She took Ecstacy. She new it was illegal, she new she shouldn't be driving. Ecstacy did not hold a gun to her head and make her drive that car, she decided that all by herself.

She killed somone plain and simple. Manslaughter.

Did you read the article Animal? She also worked as a Certified Nurses Assistant and worked in a Nursing Home, before that she worked as a correction officer in a jail.

If you are able to see the video, especially the ending pages, you also see her behavior for months after her accident (btw she called a friend later after she hit the guy, and said friend came over, looked, and they decided to get a couple of guys to dump the guy's body in a park).

Listen how many times she says "I didn't know what to do"

Any drug...be it booze or the other stuff says you are fully responsible for what happens. Touble is she'll get out when she in the 70's, he's dead. Should have been life plus 10.

Mind you, on the flip side, I have never taken Ecstacy, have no clue what it does to you, if it makes you unable to make rational decisions etc. No doubt, no matter what she was on, she is definitely responsible and should be punished. The question is, what is the best fitting punishment? Do you believe she can be redeemed, learn and be a better person, and become a beneficial person in society? Or no way she should rot in jail forever because a man is dead forever? Or something in between?

Dang I probably should have made this a poll LOL.

And that makes it okay?

I see, as long as you are an upstanding citizen, then you are allowed to kill someone? I don't buy it, sorry. She took an illegal drug, commited an illegal act and now she needs to take responsibility for her actions.

As a Certified Nurses Assistant she should know better.

I have taken Ecstacy, and it does some wild things to you. The bottom line remains, that she still needs to be held responsible for her actions. I'm not suggesting the gas chamber, but what she committed was manslaughter.

So lets say, that this woman does the same thing but mows down your husband on the way home and kills him. Would you feel the same way?

LOL, umm Animal, I haven't actually yet given my opinion on this case LOL. I'm stating basically both sides of the argument first as best I can.

I was wanting to wait and see other replies first before I gave my own. ;)

These cases hit close to home for me. First off, I'm an ex police officer and second my wife was killed by a drunk driver who walked away free on a technicality.

I had just read this, she got a total of 60 years, ten for tampering with evidence...burning the car seat, and 50 for tho other, 2 of her friends also got 10 years for helping her , when they took the body to the park

So, Lady Z, quit sitting on the fence and give us your opinion. :D

Did she deserve what she got or should the courts have been more lenient?

Well I went back and forth actually watching the trial. Of course right off the bat I wanted her to fry, but then I got sucked into the drug thing, and the "she wasn't in her right mind thing", and then that one part of her testimony (on the video) had me thinking maybe she really truly felt remorse for what she had done, and therefore possible for redemption in the future. This is me thinking she would get at least 10 years in prison and community service later, if she got the most lenient sentence.

But then a lot of facts came out on that Testimony, which just made me believe that she truly was just out for herself, and knew what she was doing. She admitted to taking a HALF of an Ecstacy pill, which supposedly according to experts isn't considered a "full dose", as many who take the drug usually consume an entire pill or two. Also, she drank frequently and smoked pot every day all day, she said she went through an ounce in a week or a week and a half!By herself?! Wow! So in my opinion her system had developed a certain "tolerance" to things like alcohol and pot. She also smoked pot and drank for like 13 years or something. It's just hard for me to believe one HALF pill of Extacy could mess her up to where she could not think to call for help. Again, as I said above, she already made decisions that night, including managing to drive home safely, and get into her garage, and get out of the car, and go into the house and not call 911, but call one of her friends. I do think she was in a lucid frame of mind despite the drugs, and even if she was straight I think she would have made the same decision :(

She also kept saying how bad she was feeling about the accident afterwards, yet she still never called the police, and even went to the same bar that it all began at and partied it up, went through a few boyfriends, even brought one boyfriend to the house to spend the night, even though the electric had been cut off, he also went and looked at the grisly dented car of hers.

She also had all sorts of ways to clean her urine during drug tests at her jobs, sometimes she'd get other people who didn't smoke pot to give her their urine, and sometimes she'd put a drop of bleach into her urine sample. She "took care of" our elderly, our grandmas and grandpas, worked in a Nursing Home, stoned and messed up on who knows what (as I cannot take out the idea that she may have held back more of her drug use in her "confession")

So there is my opinion. She got the correct punishment I think. Again, I was swayed for a bit, it is really an emotional case when you think about it.


So yes I think she should get life, since the victim got total "life" :(

It is just my opinion as a responsible ex-user of substances that alter consciousness that people shouldn't get any leniency because they were under the influence. The use of substances is an excuse for people who can't or won't take responsibility for themselves and their actions.

This is why drunk/high drivers should be locked away for a long time after the first offense. My 8 year old cousin was killed by a third-time offender driving with-out a license. No tolerance and no leniency.

Well people holding a position of responsibility need to be held to a higher level of accountability, IMHO.

<font color = lightgreen>I listened to much of the trial and sentencing live (love the local all-news radio on 1080 AM). Whether she took drugs or not is irrelevant--she hit a man and left him to die in her garage without calling anyone to get help. It may not be premeditated murder, but it is still clearly murder because her actions--or lack thereof--caused his death.

She fully deserved the 50 (or more) years handed down; she is lucky she didn't kill him in the normally violent method (knife, gun, etc) or she might have faced a death penalty. On the other hand, death might be better than 50 years in prison....

Any sensible person wouldn't even treat a hurt dog that poorly.</font>

Living close by, this is a story that was in the news for a long time. One thing that the testimony doesn't bring out is that no mention of any drug or alcohol use was made at the time they caught her. It was only almost a year later that it became a defense and or issue. Even if she was adversly affected by drugs it still doesn't explain why she didn't help the next day when the man was still alive and pleading (according to reports months ago in "The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram and The Dallas Morning News") for help. At that time she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It also doesn't explain the coverup.

I am sick and tired of the "Reefer Madness" defense. "Drugs and alcohol made me do it. I was God-fearing and pure of heart until the evil drugs took control of my life." Fear and a failure to take personal responsibility are the real reasons. Neither of which excuses the actions taken or the criminal lack of caring, compassion, or common sense.

I totally agree with you, antryg. I myself have been under the influence of several substances, but you can still tell between right and wrong. My aunt is schizophrenic, and even under her incredibly powerful medications, she has never committed a violent or illegal act. I don't believe that any substance can make you do what you don't want to do. Carelessness and recklessness must be punished, especially when they lead to the death of a perfectly innocent person.

Lastly, I would like to say that, especially if she is a nurse's assistant, she should be able to assess the risks. I would never drive or go into a car with someone who wasn't in complete control, and I strongly discourage people from doing so whenever I can. Quite simply, if she knew she was going to do ecstasy, while I am not condoning it, she should have taken a cab, or gotten a ride. Quite honestly, I am less concerned with the fact that she did the ecstasy, for which it is a personal choice, and covered up her act, than the fact that she knew she was high, and she chose to drive anyway. This was an unacceptable act, and I am glad she got 50 years.

<font color=deepskyblue>I remember discussing this case on IW extensively when it first occurred. <font color=red>antryg</font> touched on the one aspect of the case I consider the most important...the fact that the homeless man didn't die right away. He didn't even die the next day. IIRC, one report said that it took almost THREE DAYS before the man finally died. During that time, he was laying on the hood of her car, impaled upon the windshield and in terrible pain. The "nurse" supposedly went out to comfort and apologize to him on more than one occasion, but she still NEVER called 911.

I admit it has been several months and my memory may be wrong about these details (or the report I saw could have been incorrect). But the fact that he did lay in her carport suffering - yet still very much alive - far longer than any drug would have stayed in her system makes her actions totally and completely unforgivable. Sixty years is too short. She should have been given Life +10, or whatever it takes to make sure she never gets out.

This is one case where I actually favor Life in Prison over the Death Sentence. I think it is a far better punishment to allow her to live the rest of her natural life locked away forever so that she can think about what she did every single day. </font>

I saw this on the news...it was enough to get a lively discussion going in my house! I agree, LadyZ, that she had to have been pretty wellin control of her faculties to drive home, conceal the car and the dying man and call her friends! I don't buy the 'drugs made me do it' story as an alibi or extenuating circumstance, so I guess I'd say she should get the full punishment allowable. If she's been drinking and doing drugs for this long (and Animal, I agree, as a NURSE she should know better!) she's got to take the responsibility for what she did.

I was really appalled that anyone could do what she did... the inhumanity is chilling...to just LET someone die after you caused their injuries is heinous!

I remember this case as well. I'm having a LOT of trouble finding sympathy for people who take drugs and then behave like assholes and think they're not responsible. Sorry... I realise it's a harsh view, I know that if you succumb to peer pressure ONCE in your teens, you can be on the road to trouble already... Take some drugs a few times because you don't want to be ostracised... and you may already be too addicted to fight it off (depending on the kind of drug you take). Even though I find that "peer pressure" reasoning lame and have never succumbed to it myself, I can find some understanding for how people end up like that. And yet, and yet... I simply cannot bring myself to feel a whole lot of understanding for drug addicts, drunken bums... Compassion, yes. But it just angers me that they ruin their own lives, ruin other lives and won't ever be held responsible for anything they did, because it was the drugs that made them do it. I feel guilty for being so rigid in this stance but... the moment some drunken asshole decides to step into his/her car and drive... they lose all my respect. I had read about what happened to Animals wife before, I often think about how completely unworldy it must feel to know something like that happened to someone you love. I myself have been in a car with a, if not drunk, then definitely pretty tipsy person and couldn't do a thing about it. There is no excuse for it in my eyes, other than such people are irresponsible idiots.
The case of the nurse is just despicable in my eyes. What sort of person would do something so utterly cruel, even when under the influence of half a pill?

[ 06-28-2003, 05:59 AM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

I have, and i can honestly tell you that there is XTC and XTC, if you know what i mean. The real deal just stimulates certain....erm...feelings, but most of the stuff out there is mixed with crap. There's XTC that makes you do things, and you won't remember a single thing the next day, now that's scary stuff.

However, noone forced her to take XTC. The drug itself can make her do things she doesn't know she's doing it, but she should have thought about that before taking it. Therefore: guilty as charged.

<font color=green>This women didn't coming man slaughter she commited MURDER. she should have gotten help. saying she didn't konw what to do is a lie. she is a nurse she knew exactly what to do. she decieded not to do anything. she killed someone and shouldn't ever be released into society. she shouldn't rot in jail either. she dumped the body in a park. she should be put to death like the poor man she killed.</font>

Three days, half a tab of E. Dosen't quite add up. Most folks I know who take that crap are fairly normal by the next day. Well, as close to normal as those guys ever get, anyway. But if this woman is suggesting that her judgement was impaired to the point where a man bleeding to death didnt instantly suggest calling 911, she's lying through her teeth. More likely she was thinking of the trouble that calling 911 would cause her personaly, and made the decision to let the guy die and dispose of the body, so she could live happily ever after.

Let her rot in jail for the remainder of her natural life.

It's quite possible that she really didn't know what she did at that particular moment. Like i said, there's some dangerous stuff outthere, even pills that contain animal tranquilizers, strong enough to put an elephant to sleep. You're lucky if that shit doesn't kill you, but if it doesn't, chances are that you'll be running around, not knowing what goes on around you.

She should be convicted, don't get me wrong, but murder goes a bit too far. If she really had "corrupted" XTC, then it's like "the lights are on, but nobody's home", if you know what i mean.

The story of his taking three days to die are bogus. The coroner said it took him several hours to die. And the emergency room doctors called on as expert witnesses all agreed that if he had been brought in he would have lived. What the bitch did was murder pure and simple. I think she should be taken to one of those crash test sights and stood on the tracks and rammed by a car and left to die like an animal. Which is what she did to this man.

IIRC Unfortunitly the state of Texas can only give her life for this crime, She's not eligable for the death penalty. I can buy life for hitting him, but when you leave him there then check on him in the morning and he's still alive and you do nothing because you don't want to pay the price for your actions. Sorry but my vote would be to have her ride the electric chair.

Well, it made sense to me that she did it because she didn't want to get busted on a drug charge. That was the only reason I could figure that she would have left a living, breathing person like that to die in her windshield. She was probably trying to cover her ass. Also, I think I heard that the man was homeless. If that were true, she probably figred that she could dump the body and no one would come looking for him. It was a totally sick and inhumane thing to do. Life in prison seems fair to me. It was not premeditated.

Anyone tell me how they cuaght on to her?

BTW, I am for legalizing drugs. If you are going to have alcohol legal, I think drugs should be. BUT, you should nail their asses to the cross if anything illegal happens while they are under the influence. Just my opinion. Drunk drivers in the US are too often slapped on the wrist if there is a fatality while they are drunk and driving.