Too Harsh?? Seriously??

Back in the 80's I took dance lessons - ballet, tap and jazz. Sandy Rice was my teacher, and I think my fellow dancers will still agree today when I say she was awesome and I'd love to be able to take lessons from her again! Sandy had older students act as her assistants. The one I was around the most during my classes was Heather Terry.

Last January Heather Terry and 3 of her passengers were killed when the car she was driving in Eugene was struck by a drunk driver. Her son, 10 year old Jakobi, was the sole survivor .... but came out far from unscathed. A 24 year old male had been drinking at a bowling alley when he chose to drive home that night, against the better judgment of his friends that tried to talk him out of it.  I was sitting here thinking about when I heard the news. I had seen a headline about the deadliest crash in Eugene. Usually when I see headlines like that I check to make sure Heather R** or my little nieces aren't involved. This particular article I didn't read because I knew Heather was alive. But it was just the next day Heather R** texted me to tell me about Heather Terry being killed. She and I were never friends, but she was always a dance class fixture while growing up, so it was quite a shock. And how terrible for her little boy - named after the auditorium that we did our dance recitals in! - to be the only survivor and have to grow up without a mom. Ugh, I can't even think about that!

I decided to look up the past articles about the accident and see if there was ever a charge, verdict and sentence for the drunk driver. Sure enough, there was an article in the Register Guard on Ocboer 21, 2009.

Ellmers appealing sentence: The attorney for the Eugene man says the 20-year prison term for a crash that killed four people is too harsh.

WHAT?? He killed for people, plus the injuries (mental and physical) to the one survivor, and he ONLY gets twenty-years? Then complains about it?  20 years for harming 5 people ... that equals four years per person. Or 5 per person if you ignore the one survivor. How on earth could you complain that a sentence like that is too HARSH?? I'd say he got off pretty easy. Its just disgusting to think someone would actually go through the legal process to change that sentence. Is it possible to make it longer? Lame ass attorney wants it reduced, so as a form of punishment for being retarded and complaining about something pretty light, he gets more time? I mean the person that chose to drive drunk is only 25. He will be 45 years old when he is released from prison. Heather didn't even live to be 40 years old, thanks to this guy. Pathetic!