Sorry for the loss of your Dad, James. You should contact the American Motorcycle Association at 614-856-1900. Ask for Imre Szauter. He is the Governmental Relations person, and will try to help you get the laws changed. He is stand up.

Ride safe.

 

A letter of apology are you fucn kidding me! This guy blew a stop sign and killed another human beinbg he should go to prison at the very least! Why I spend the 25 bucks and belong to MMA and MRF and all organizations that fight on our behalf. Sadly its no differnt when a cager hits a person in a crosswalk etc...

Really sorry to hear about your father RIP bro and much success if you try and change the law. If you need letter writing or phone calls for support message me.

 

James, I'm so sorry for your loss.

I am an assistant prosecuting attorney in Macomb County, Michigan. I am chief of our cold case unit and handle capital and homicide cases by appointment. It is incredibly frustrating to me, as to you, that negligent homicides are subject to such frivolous penalties (2years in Michigan). As others indicated, the crimes vary by intent, with accidents rightly being less punishable.

Despite that, I never have and never would reduce such a charge to something even less significant. The plea in your dads case sounds ridiculous. Maybe 18 years of riding and having my father nearly killed (11 mos in hospital) from a driver running a red light has given me a different viewpoint than your DA, but such a plea over your objection is still unthinkable.

The real problem, ultimately, is the judge. Reasonable sentencing should be the practice of every judge, but this type of pat on the wrist in a death case, even if acvidental, cannot satisfy any degree of reasonableness. Frankly, stuff like this is exactly why I'm running for judge in 2014. Please know that, despite your difficult circumstances, the system is not broken. It just needs people like you to keep it in line through educated elections.

Again, my condolences. Stay strong and use this as motivation to make sure it doesn't happen again (abate, AMA, lobbying and media attention).

Steve Fox

 

Brother I'm sorry for your loss... This certainly boils my blood, and I'm sure it boils the other forum members too. You don't know me from Adam, but I say you fight it. The DA's decision is some bull ****.

 

WTF?

jjames, sorry to hear about your loss bro. My blood boils hearing your story. Stay cool and try not to let it eat you up, easier said than doen, I know. Toasting your dad memory as I type this...lost mine '95 similar circumstances.

 

JJ, my condolences for your tragic loss.

Another perspective to consider is what impact this event had on the man that killed your father. I have a friend that is a steel worker operating a crane. She was trained by a man that was a crane operator all his life, and when he was in his late forties, he made a very serious mistake that resulted in the death of two coworkers. This man’s mistake haunted him for the rest of his life and ruined his life, literally. He never found a way to deal with his mistake and in time developed serious mental issues. He lost his job, his wife took his two kids and left him, he ended up a homeless man inside of three years after the accident. Although he was clearly at fault in the accident, he was not sued by the victim’s families nor was he incarcerated or otherwise penalized by the authorities. However, the damage to this individual was clearly worse than any law suit or government penalty could have every inflicted.

Of course I have no idea what the man that killed your father went through or continues to go through, and the above thought isn’t meant to strike pity for the individual. It’s only another thought to consider.

I hope you find peace in the situation somehow JJ.

 

Sorry for your loss. God bless your Dad.
Crazy stuff. Out here last year a guy with a long time record including duis, ran over and killed 2 bikers...$50.00 fine for each death...

 

My heart and prayers go out to the OP and his family. It's truely sad to hear something happening like that.
And that was the most RETARDED court ruling I've EVER heard of. Hopefully that person will get their soon. Maybe their son/daughter will get killed in an accident of their own :-)

 

Sorry for your loss, there are no words to describe my anger over this.
The guy who did this will pay in some way or another, it will hopefully ruin his life.
I would try to find an attorney who would take this on contingency.
Hope you and your family can find some peace somehow.
I could not live with myself if I had done this to someone!