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Author
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Topic: Equality in america?
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Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-16-2003 01:56 PM
Here in Dallas we've had a couple of very unfortunate incidents. Both of these incidents have happened in Dallas County and will be processed through the same courts.
Incident 1: On Jan 3 a group of teens ran out on their tab while dining at a local restraunt. Their waitess persued them into the parking lot, against company policy, at which time she was struck and killed by the vehicle driven by Sarah Foust (19) after which they left the scene. They were caught a few miles away by city police. She has been held in custody since then and her bond has been set at $100,000. She has pretty much acknowledged and expressed remose for what happened. Very sad situation indeed for all involved.
Incident 2: On Jan 14 2 people were killed on a Dallas highway trying to help annother motorist that was trapped in a buring vehicle. While trying to assist the drive, they were struck and killed by a car traveling at excessive speeds, estimated to be at near 100mph on the shoulder of the highway. The drive of this vehicle made no attempt to stop and render aid or even acknowledge what had happened. On Jan 15 it is revealed that Dallas Cowboys player Dwayne Goodrich (a Dallas Cowboys football player) was the driver of this vehicle. He had his lawer leave a message for the officer working the hit and run case, and later turned himself in more than 21 hours after the incident. Expressing no remorse and not speaking publicly, he has been RELEASED on $50,000 bond, less than 3 hours after he turned himself in.
Here we have a girl that killed 1 person and her bond is set at $100,000, a sum that her family can in no way afford. On the other hand we have a wealthy professional athelete (he recieved a $1,000,000 signing bonus) to whom $50,000 is easily obtainable, yet he wrecklesly and carelessly killed 2 people and injured a 3rd.
While both of these are very unfortunate, it just makes me mad that a professional athelete is being treated with kid-gloves, while an ordinary person is given the shaft.
to the judge that set Dwayne Goodrich's bond so low!
Further details on either of these stories can be found in the Dallas Morning news. Dallas Morning News webpage
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
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Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 01-16-2003 03:52 PM
I don't think it's quite as simple as that. The point of bail is to ensure that an individual will not be tempted to disappear and attempt to evade standing trial. It is not a punishment in its own right. As the O.J. Simpson case demonstrated, a celebrity cannot just disappear in the way that a relatively unknown citizen potentially could. Goodrich is well known in his local community and beyond, and his arrest has no doubt been highly publicised. The judge in this case was not having to take into account the possibility that he might try to jump bail, because his celebrity status makes it almost impossible for him to do so. From the way you describe the incident it seems that there has already been a certain amount of trial by media (for example, what if he failed to stop because he was worried about being attacked by the occupants of the car he hit?). The issue here is not whether he'll turn up in court, but whether or not he'll get a fair trial. In these circumstances, the amount of bail is completely irrelevant. As you point out, even if it had been set at $1 million, he'd still be able to pay.
The girl whose car hit the waitress is a different case altogether. For all the judge setting bail knew, their might be a real risk of her successfully jumping bail - relatives in a south American country with no extradition treaty, perhaps? So for whatever reason, that judge set bail so high that either the family just couldn't pay at all, or if they did then losing that money would totally ruin them.
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Jason Burroughs
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 654
From: Allen, TX
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 01-26-2003 12:21 PM
Just an updated on this story from MSNBC
Police have filed three charges of failure to stop and render aid against Dallas Cowboy Dwayne Goodrich, who already faces manslaughter hit-and-run charges.
Goodrich, 24, was free on bond totaling $50,000 for two felony counts of manslaughter in the deaths of Joseph "Joby" Wood, 21, and Demont Matthews, 23, both of Plano. Wood and Matthews were reportedly trying to rescue a motorist from a burning car when they were hit in the early-morning hours of Jan. 14. That car had caught fire after it rear-ended a disabled tractor trailer.
Witnesses told police the car was traveling at more than 100 mph when it hit the two victims and a third man, whose leg was broken. The driver of the burning car eventually escaped with only minor injuries.
Through his attorney, Goodrich has said he initially thought he'd struck only debris.
According to court documents, Investigators have collected blood and hair samples from a car owned by Goodrich, who is accused by police in the hit-and-run accident that killed the two good Samaritans.
Court records made public Wednesday show that investigators collected samples from a point of impact in the center of the windshield of the backup cornerback's car.
Tissue and hair samples were also found underneath weather stripping near the windshield, and fiber and hair were found near the right headlight of Goodrich's car, the records indicate. They stated that fragments of glass with blood were collected from the right dashboard.
NBC 5 reported that Goodrich could return to jail on the additional charges as early as Monday.
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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 01-27-2003 03:13 PM
That kind of stuff happens here in Nashville too. We have MANY country music singers who end up getting arrested for drunk driving, and all get a slap on the wrist, take a remedial driving course, and that's it. If I did it, I'd end up in jail, have my truck impounded and sold at auction, and loose my drivers license... just because I'm a regular joe on the street.
One of our Nashville Predator's NHL Hockey players was arrested for DUI several weeks ago.. and nothing happened to him. Last fall, the mother of our star running back for the Tennessee Titans (not naming names here) was arrested for DUI after a home game.... again, nothing happened. Like in most situations, it's either "who you are", or "who you know".
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