Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Not Above the Law

but I don't know that this is right, either. Denver Dillard just sentenced former Judge Weaver to two years in treatment on a second offense OWI. This is the maximum on an aggravated misdemeanor - which is what OWI II is. The article discusses the sentence in terms of "up to" two years, which generally signals an indeterminate sentence, (note to laypeople: in misdemeanor jail time, you generally have to serve the time straight up - 180 days is 180 days. In indeterminate sentencing, "good time" credits generally mean that you technically serve two days for each day inside, effectively cutting your sentence in half), but still. I've never seen anything more than six months absent someone getting hurt or killed or something. Usually, it's seven days. I mean, I could see it if it were suspended to ensure he complies with treatment or something. But d*mn, do we really mean to be this disproportionate between members of the legal profession and others? I know we're held to a higher standard on licensing, but should we have this exponentially higher criminal sentences on a non-violent crime?

Yikes.

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