Bentley's Law

[Chuk_Chuk]

How would you calculate child support in this instance?

If the parents killed are millionaires and the driver is a regular joe; are they expected to match the expected lifestyle?
What about vice versa? Will the kids get an upgraded lifestyle?

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

This is something which is starting to pass various state legislature in the US and quite frankly I think it's brilliant.

If you, as a drunk driver, kill the parent(s) of a child you are required to pay child support until they're 18/21. Shame we don't have progressive justice like that over here really. I'd obviously extend it to various crimes such as drug driving, dangerous/careless and possibly non-driving related offences. What are peeps thoughts?

Execution is a more fitting punishment.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

Execution is a more fitting punishment.

Most folk: Providing financial contribution to the affected minor as well as judicial outcomes for the offender seems fair and reasonable.

Lord-Jaffa: Do not do that. Kill the offender and forget about the affected child - this is about punishment only.

 

[stuman]

Financial punishments unfairly affect the person who has to pay.

For example, a person living hand to mouth getting a speeding fine could destroy them. For rich folk it’s nothing.

It’s also very ‘punish drivers’ and should be expanded to all murder convictions. Why wouldn’t they?!

 

[D.P.]

Its paid from 1 year after release.

but if they killed both parents by DUI then they could be spending 10-20 years in prison. By which time the children would be over 18.

Doesn't make any sense this law.

 

[D.P.]

Most folk: Providing financial contribution to the affected minor as well as judicial outcomes for the offender seems fair and reasonable.

Lord-Jaffa: Do not do that. Kill the offender and forget about the affected child - this is about punishment only.

Typical far right attitude

 

[Dis86]

but if they killed both parents by DUI then they could be spending 10-20 years in prison. By which time the children would be over 18.

Doesn't make any sense this law.

Oh hey, youre talking nonsense again! Look at the sentences. Ive already given one example in the uk.

 

[MooMoo444]

The prison term should be longer and more strict, financial penalties are daft in today’s society. I hope this doesn’t become the norm in the UK.

 

[Dis86]

The prison term should be longer and more strict, financial penalties are daft in today’s society. I hope this doesn’t become the norm in the UK.

Cant really disagree on sentence length but why dont you think financial penalties make sense? Think of this less as a penalty but more financial assistance for a single parent or fully orphaned child/children.

 

[MooMoo444]

Cant really disagree on sentence length but why dont you think financial penalties make sense? Think of this less as a penalty but more financial assistance for a single parent or fully orphaned child/children.

A lot of reasons stated above, the unlikelihood of an offender finding work easily on release etc. I just feel that prison is the punishment, financial support and care should come from the systems that it’s supposed to, social security, and the like. Having to pay that too just feels like double dipping but I appreciate this may be a minority view.

 

[Destination]

I'm not opposed to it but I think they've probably got some far more effective changes they could make to avoid so many getting to that point in the first place.

It shouldn't take killing someone before there's finally some robust action taken, they have some people with a shocking number of tickets for dangerous driving and DUIs etc.. and for them it's only a matter of time. It's probably better that they are more ready to impose driving bans and take cars away from people/seriously punish breach of those bans.

For example:

A Way to Slow Down ‘Super-Speeders’ Who Keep Breaking the Law

City and state officials want speed-limiting devices installed in the cars of drivers who get more than 16 speeding tickets in a year, in hopes of preventing injuries and deaths.

www.nytimes.com

So the suggestion in that article is to fit speed limited devices in the cars of drivers who rack up more than 16 speeding tickets in a year... that's the mentality they're dealing with on their roads, getting caught for 16 speeding offences in a year is an insane number but clearly there are people out there who aren't otherwise deterred.

agree here, it is an odd situation
DUIs seem to be a way to end a night out in the US
the whole culture needs to change considerably

 

[D.P.]

Oh hey, youre talking nonsense again! Look at the sentences. Ive already given one example in the uk.

This law is in the US

 

[Dis86]

This law is in the US

Jesus christ...

 

[Dis86]

A lot of reasons stated above, the unlikelihood of an offender finding work easily on release etc. I just feel that prison is the punishment, financial support and care should come from the systems that it’s supposed to, social security, and the like. Having to pay that too just feels like double dipping but I appreciate this may be a minority view.

We have people arriving in dinghies finding work pretty rapidly, im sure someone who's done a couple of years inside can manage. I personally employ two guys who have served custodial sentences because the qualifications they obtained before prison dont go away. One was, as it happens, driving under the influence. He didnt kill anyone however but did cause serious injury.
Youre also assuming the individual has no assets that can be liquidated to pay for the care of the child/ren.
And whilst you say it feels like double dipping, those kids without a parent essentially have a life sentence.

 

[Chuk_Chuk]

We have people arriving in dinghies finding work pretty rapidly, im sure someone who's done a couple of years inside can manage. I personally employ two guys who have served custodial sentences because the qualifications they obtained before prison dont go away. One was, as it happens, driving under the influence. He didnt kill anyone however but did cause serious injury.
Youre also assuming the individual has no assets that can be liquidated to pay for the care of the child/ren.
And whilst you say it feels like double dipping, those kids without a parent essentially have a life sentence.

Should the child of the offender be punished for the crime of their parents?

Generally, the only asset worth anything that most people have is their house. Will you kick out their family and their kids to help the affected?

 

[Dis86]

Should the child of the offender be punished for the crime of their parents?

Generally, the only asset worth anything that most people have is their house. Will you kick out their family and their kids to help the affected?

But thats why you tackle it like you do currently where hardship of family members is taken in to account with sentencing.

Alternatively you also look at the point of view that they should have thought of that before committing a crime.

 

[D.P.]

Cant really disagree on sentence length but why dont you think financial penalties make sense? Think of this less as a penalty but more financial assistance for a single parent or fully orphaned child/children.

It won't make any difference to the number of offenses.
As Dowie said, kt is far more important to stop these senseless deaths and the horrific driving attitudes in the US.

A driving ban if getting 3 or 4 speeding tickets with 1-2 years would be far more effective.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Its paid from 1 year after release.

Are there not financially productive tasks that prisoners can be set to, in order to generate income - Either for government/state/public spending or, in the case of victim compensation, to pay them their due?
I know the States used to have prisoners in workshops, making licence plates and other menial things. I see no reason most of them can't be set to work for the benefit of the society they have wronged.