Involuntary Manslaughter Charged In Crash That Killed Leesburg Woman

By Bill Brubaker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 29, 2007; Page B04

Kathleen Becker was returning from choir practice, making her usual Thursday night drive from Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Sterling to her home in Leesburg, where she lived with her husband and disabled teenage son.

Traveling on a two-lane stretch of Route 15 that evening last week, Becker's Chrysler Town & County minivan was struck by a swerving Ford Escape SUV, driven by a 17-year-old girl who had been drinking, Virginia State Police said.


Becker, 59, who was wearing a seat belt, died instantly. The girl, who was not wearing a seat belt, survived with cuts and bruises and was charged with driving under the influence, a misdemeanor.

This week, after conferring with the Loudoun County commonwealth attorney's office, the state police raised the stakes, charging the Fairfax County girl with involuntary manslaughter, a felony.

The Loudoun prosecutor then petitioned the juvenile court to transfer the case to circuit court so the Westfield High School student could be tried as an adult. The felony charge carries the same sentence for adults and juveniles in Virginia -- one to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine -- but circuit court defendants generally receive tougher sentences, said Sgt. Terry Licklider, a Virginia State Police spokesman.

"We keep trying to send the message" about underage drinking, Commonwealth's Attorney James E. Plowman said yesterday. "We just hope one day someone's going to listen."

The Sept. 20 accident came three months after a 20-year-old George Mason University student who had been drinking drove her convertible into the path of a tractor-trailer on a Capital Beltway ramp, killing herself and three teenage friends. Elaine M. Thackston had been convicted of drinking and driving a year earlier, according to court documents.

In last week's accident, at Route 15 and Harmony Church Road, the teen, whom authorities have not identified because she is charged as a juvenile, had a blood alcohol level above .08, the legal limit for adults, Licklider said. She was driving her parents' car.


"The facts in this case certainly warrant her being charged as an adult," Licklider said yesterday. "We continue to have this problem. It's just gotten to the point where we need to send a message out to people that if you do get behind the wheel when you're intoxicated, you're going to have to suffer the consequences. I mean, obviously this girl is going to have to live with this. "

Kathy Becker was a school crossing guard in the 1970s and 1980s at Sterling Elementary School, and in recent years she was a volunteer for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, monitoring local amphibians -- especially frogs. She spent most of her time, however, as a caregiver to teenage son Russell, who has a genetic disorder.

"Russell is treated at the hospital a lot because of his special condition," said Becker's daughter, Sharon Macielinski of Ashburn. "And now, removing his primary caregiver from the home -- that has really left the family in the lurch. We don't know what to do because my mother was taking care of him full time while my dad worked full time."

Another son of Becker's, Todd, who had a similar genetic disorder, died in 2004.

Macielinski said she welcomed the news that the Fairfax girl could be tried as an adult. A hearing has been scheduled in juvenile court for early November, Plowman said.

"I mean, when you're 16 or 17, you're allowed to be behind the wheel of something that is potentially a lethal weapon," Macielinski said. "And if you're consuming alcohol, which for good reason is something that is reserved for adults, you should face adult consequences because you have chosen to act as an adult. If teenagers realize that they can be tried as adults and that this could effect the rest of their lives, they possibly will take it more seriously."

Growing up in Sterling, Macielinski, 37, said her parents did not allow her to drive until she was 18. "If there was an event, my parents drove me," she said. "They wanted to make sure I was safe."

At Westfield High in Chantilly, Principal Tim Thomas addressed the drinking and driving issue with student and parent groups all week, said Paul Regnier, spokesman for the Fairfax County school system.

"He's been talking about not drinking, about being careful when they are driving, but he wants the student leaders to talk to other kids about this," Regnier said.

"His strategy is that he wants student leaders and student athletes to recognize that they need to be role models. You know, kids are more likely to listen to other kids than they are to adults telling them something."

Quote

Becker, 59, who was wearing a seat belt, died instantly. The girl, who was not wearing a seat belt, survived with cuts and bruises...

LOL! oh the irony!

Quote

Another son of Becker's, Todd, who had a similar genetic disorder, died in 2004.

people, if you have a kid that has a genetic disorder of any kind... DONT HAVE MORE CHILDREN! seriously, doing such has great potential for creating a burden on society. adopt, you fucking retards or a drunk girl will kill you!

Quote
Sgt. Terry Licklider, a Virginia State Police spokesman.
"We continue to have this problem. It's just gotten to the point where we need to send a message out to people that if you do get behind the wheel when you're intoxicated, you're going to have to suffer the consequences.

1. everyone has to face the consequences for their illegal acts... except if you're a cop, in which case you can get away with anything, even murder.
2. we have some endless campaign against drunk driving and "informing the public" that is costing millions. you think THIS is going to do the job?

Quote
Macielinski
"I mean, when you're 16 or 17, you're allowed to be behind the wheel of something that is potentially a lethal weapon,"

anything is a "potentially a lethal weapon" which is why there are warning labels on fucking everything because some dumbass killed themselves or someone else on accident with it.

Quote
Macielinski
"And if you're consuming alcohol, which for good reason is something that is reserved for adults,"

consuming alcohol is NOT reserved for adults, it is reserved for people at least 21 years of age.

Quote
Macielinski
"you should face adult consequences because you have chosen to act as an adult."

that's fucking backwards logic. we might as well jail five-year-old children for stealing a piece of candy at the store because shopping is for adults!

Quote
Macielinski
"If teenagers realize that they can be tried as adults and that this could effect the rest of their lives, they possibly will take it more seriously."

HA! how naive is this bitch?! seriously, the girl driving drunk on the beltway accident got killed and her friends too... it didnt seem to make a damn difference to this girl.

---

Macielinski,
   you really are naive. no, i take it back, you are ignorant because of all the examples of tragic accidents that happen year after year with drunk drivers, this being no exception. do you honestly think this will change if some no-name girl goes to jail? if you answered yes, just fucking kill yourself because you have no hope of recovery this late in life. the only thing you will get is personal vengeance which will change nothing.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Gravis Wrote:
-> everyone has to face the consequences for their
> illegal acts... except if you're a cop, in which
> case you can get away with anything, even
> murder.we have some endless campaign against drunk
> driving and "informing the public" that is costing
> millions. you think THIS is going to do the job?

Or if you are a Hollywood celebrity. They don't have to face the consequences. Look at L. Lohan as a recent example, OJ is more extreme one.

Does anyone find it odd that it took more than a week for this to make the paper? This was on NBC4 the next day, but you heard nothing about this.

As sad and tragic as this is, I don't how or why this girl should not be charged with involuntary manslaughter. While I am not so naive to expect that this will cause teen drinking and driving to stop overnight, I hope that this will provide some sort of example and act as a deterrent.

wow Gravis, you really owned that article.

wow, unsafe driving (civil) fees are at the same level as INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER

the fuck is that?

I hate trolls, I wish you all would die and go away. Get a job, get a life do something more resourceful with your time. I am not going to mention who you are because you are stupid enough to respond, but not put your real name. I will be at the Chantilly game tonight come see me and we can talk in person with you cowardly hiding behind your keyboard.

Bosco

Man, this might be the funniest post I've read all week, thanks for writing that

"do something more resourceful with your time", LOL


troll hater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hate trolls, I wish you all would die and go
> away. Get a job, get a life do something more
> resourceful with your time. I am not going to
> mention who you are because you are stupid enough
> to respond, but not put your real name. I will be
> at the Chantilly game tonight come see me and we
> can talk in person with you cowardly hiding behind
> your keyboard.
>
> Bosco

HAHAHAHA, fight! fight! behind the bleachers!!!

for the love of god, somebody go to the chantilly game and scare the shit outta bosco

Look, she was White. That should mean she should get a break. The prosecutors in Fairfax should not charge her for drinking on school grounds and underage drinking in Fairfax County (before she went into Loudon), and instead direct more prosecutions towards Blacks that take Midol on school grounds or Blacks who arrange dates with fifth grade girls and seventh grade boys.

I mean membership has its privileges, doesn't it?

FUNdamental Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Look, she was White. That should mean she should
> get a break.

the race card. how pathetic.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

fry her!!!!!!!!!!!!!! who cares if she is a juvenile. burn her at the stake!!!!!

troll hater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hate trolls, I wish you all would die and go
> away. Get a job, get a life do something more
> resourceful with your time. I am not going to
> mention who you are because you are stupid enough
> to respond, but not put your real name. I will be
> at the Chantilly game tonight come see me and we
> can talk in person with you cowardly hiding behind
> your keyboard.
>
> Bosco


I don't know why but the first image that came in my head was of you standing off to some point from and the game, and me coming and silting your throat(like solid snake). If only real life could be like a movie.

At Westfield High in Chantilly, Principal Tim Thomas addressed the drinking and driving issue with student and parent groups all week, said Paul Regnier, spokesman for the Fairfax County school system.

"He's been talking about not drinking, about being careful when they are driving, but he wants the student leaders to talk to other kids about this," Regnier said.

"His strategy is that he wants student leaders and student athletes to recognize that they need to be role models. You know, kids are more likely to listen to other kids than they are to adults telling them something."


>>>>
I don't believe the kid who was driving the car in Oakton last October that killed another kid was tried as an adult even though he was 17. And speaking of role models, I believe this kid was elected to the homecoming court this year. What, if any, kind of message does that send?

You are all missing the point, she is White,and family has money. Father is a respected member of the community. 10 + years in jail will ruin her life. Give her a break. Let her start to be a role model now, not send her to jail. How can she be a role model for Chantilly teens from jail?

Please, let her go to TECH or James Madison next year and get on with her life. There is no reason the prosecutors should derail her future of studying/partying/having sex in college because of a simple mistake.

I am sure she is sorry. How about they just make her do some community service like feed the homeless on Thanksgiving and let it go. Sometimes a zero tolerance is just wrong. In the case of this girl, who wouldn't of gotten behind the wheel of the car that night if she didn't get so emotional after the fight with her boyfriend, we should feel sorry for her, not make her go to jail. She was upset; and you want to send her to jail? Shame on you. Aren't there real hoodlums to go after?

FUNdamental Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are all missing the point, she is White,and
> family has money. Father is a respected member
> of the community. 10 + years in jail will ruin
> her life. Give her a break. Let her start to be
> a role model now, not send her to jail. How can
> she be a role model for Chantilly teens from jail?
>
>
> Please, let her go to TECH or James Madison next
> year and get on with her life. There is no reason
> the prosecutors should derail her future of
> studying/partying/having sex in college because of
> a simple mistake.
>
> I am sure she is sorry. How about they just make
> her do some community service like feed the
> homeless on Thanksgiving and let it go.
> Sometimes a zero tolerance is just wrong. In the
> case of this girl, who wouldn't of gotten behind
> the wheel of the car that night if she didn't get
> so emotional after the fight with her boyfriend,
> we should feel sorry for her, not make her go to
> jail. She was upset; and you want to send her to
> jail? Shame on you. Aren't there real hoodlums
> to go after?


Unfortunately, this scenario is not that far-fetched given past history, although I think that happening in Loudoun is a good thing compared to Fairfax.

so... was the drunk driver hot?

bdimag Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> so... was the drunk driver hot?


The race card is pathetic, bdimag that was too funny, I almost busted my stomach open laughning.

LMAO

hmmm07 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At Westfield High in Chantilly, Principal Tim
> Thomas addressed the drinking and driving issue
> with student and parent groups all week, said Paul
> Regnier, spokesman for the Fairfax County school
> system.
>
> "He's been talking about not drinking, about being
> careful when they are driving, but he wants the
> student leaders to talk to other kids about this,"
> Regnier said.
>
> "His strategy is that he wants student leaders and
> student athletes to recognize that they need to be
> role models. You know, kids are more likely to
> listen to other kids than they are to adults
> telling them something."
>
>
> >>>>
> I don't believe the kid who was driving the car in
> Oakton last October that killed another kid was
> tried as an adult even though he was 17. And
> speaking of role models, I believe this kid was
> elected to the homecoming court this year. What,
> if any, kind of message does that send?

This is a good kid from a good family. We have become a society of witch hunters. Kids make mistakes - white kids, black, brown - all kids - rich poor - all kids. This person did not set out that evening to take another life. Hormones raging, pressure of life - all that stuff - we give criminal - 3 strikes. - Let's have some compassion for what this teen's life will be going forward. - God help all of us.

shes a good kid. she was a cheerleader. yeah she got in a fight with her boyfriend, but she chose to drink and get behind the wheel. she ought to pay for it. people may say she didnt know what she was doing..noDUH she was drunk.she took someone elses life, she needs to pay for it. how would you like to lose your mom because a stupid teenager got in a fight with her boyfriend and felt COMPELLED to drive home drunk? how would you feel? when you have lost someone to drunk driving, let me know how you feel and then look at this incident and see how you feel about it. it could have been 100% prevented. i love her to death, but she has to suffer the consequences.


they say
taylor was a good girl
never one to be late
complain, express ideas in her brain

working on the night shift
pressing out the day
kids your gonna have to pay her if you wanna park here

well mommy's little dancer
is quite a little secret
walking on the streets now
never gonna keep it

its quite an imposition
and now she's only wishing
that she would have listened
to the words they said

poor taylor
she just wanders around
unaffected by
the winter winds yea
she'll pretend that
well she's somewhere else
so far and clear
about 2000 miles
from here

This is a good kid from a good family. We have become a society of witch hunters. Kids make mistakes - white kids, black, brown - all kids - rich poor - all kids. This person did not set out that evening to take another life. Hormones raging, pressure of life - all that stuff - we give criminal - 3 strikes. - Let's have some compassion for what this teen's life will be going forward. - God help all of us.
"""

For goodness sakes, she killed somebody! I'm sure she is a good kid, and I'm sure she will be living with herself and her own guilt forever. But that doesn't mean she should get a pass. She made a series of poor decisions that night and needs to be punished according to the law. Maybe if they stop letting kids off the hook for this stuff, insteasd of electing them to homecoming courts and giving them a pass, the kids will begin to get the message.

scared for kids Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a good kid from a good family. We have
> become a society of witch hunters. Kids make
> mistakes - white kids, black, brown - all kids -
> rich poor - all kids. This person did not set out
> that evening to take another life. Hormones
> raging, pressure of life - all that stuff - we
> give criminal - 3 strikes. - Let's have some
> compassion for what this teen's life will be going
> forward. - God help all of us.


Oh please,

what kind of good family condones underage drinking, drinking and driving, involuntary manslaughter. Some thing is not good, when the "good" teenager chooses to jump behind a wheel while totally plastered and winds up killing some innocent. and oh yeah, just where were the "good" teenager's friends and family during all her distraught time of need? and, even better where is the "good" person who supplied the "good" beverages? who sees the good in any of this? this is not about witch hunting, this is about paying the price and everyone "good" who was involved should be paying the price right along with the teenager. where is the compassion towards the family that lost their mother on her way home from church, no less?

Well said, Cricket

Are there any details on who provided the booze?

What role did the good parents play in this tragedy?

had we gone with my plan to kill everyone under the age of 18, this tragedy never would have happened. *sigh* when will you people ever learn?


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Anybody hear anything more about what is going on here?

The girl was exspelled...for underage drinking
shes awaiting trail for the death right now

slinkeyts Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The girl was exspelled...for underage drinking
> shes awaiting trail for the death right now


It must be 5 O'Clock somewhere!

GRAVIS

U JUST DONT GET IT DO YA LET SOME DRUNK RUNOVER YOUR MOMMA OR CHILD OR WIFE OR YOUR BOYFRIEND WONDER HOW YOU'D FEEL

Hello, I am Gravis2.1, a new and improved version of Gravis1.0 (the beta version that posted earlier). Through a newly modified thought process, I have realized that anything I say is irritating to some people, and corrosive to the ethical way of life, so I am going to stop posting now in the interest of humanity's well being.

Darwin would be proud,
Gravis2.1

-end transmission

I say give her 10 years. You make a bad choice and kill someone, you should pay the price. I don't care how old you are. You're right jail time will ruin her life, she has already ruined other folks lives.

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Becker, 59, who was wearing a seat belt, died
> instantly. The girl, who was not wearing a seat
> belt, survived with cuts and bruises...
>
> LOL! oh the irony!
>
>
> Another son of Becker's, Todd, who had a similar
> genetic disorder, died in 2004.
>
> people, if you have a kid that has a genetic
> disorder of any kind... DONT HAVE MORE CHILDREN!
> seriously, doing such has great potential for
> creating a burden on society. adopt, you fucking
> retards or a drunk girl will kill you!
>

Thats a very ignorant thing to say. Seeing that we all have our faults, it is not our right to judge somebody else's children for something that they are not in control of. These people are not a burden to society, they are people who have special needs, just like a gifted child may need advanced curriculum. Your thinking and logic is ancient.

Lester Burnham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone find it odd that it took more than a
> week for this to make the paper? This was on NBC4
> the next day, but you heard nothing about this.
>
> As sad and tragic as this is, I don't how or why
> this girl should not be charged with involuntary
> manslaughter. While I am not so naive to expect
> that this will cause teen drinking and driving to
> stop overnight, I hope that this will provide some
> sort of example and act as a deterrent.


Trying the girl as an adult will not serve as a deterrent, because teens are never going to stop drinking. You are expecting teens to have a level of maturity that some adults don't have. This girl is only 17 years old, an age where a lot of teens are not mature enough to make responsible decisions with the consequences in mind. Getting tried as an adult should only start at the age of 18, when the person is legally allowed to vote.

s Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lester Burnham Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone find it odd that it took more than
> a
> > week for this to make the paper? This was on
> NBC4
> > the next day, but you heard nothing about this.
> >
> > As sad and tragic as this is, I don't how or
> why
> > this girl should not be charged with
> involuntary
> > manslaughter. While I am not so naive to
> expect
> > that this will cause teen drinking and driving
> to
> > stop overnight, I hope that this will provide
> some
> > sort of example and act as a deterrent.
>
>
> Trying the girl as an adult will not serve as a
> deterrent, because teens are never going to stop
> drinking. You are expecting teens to have a level
> of maturity that some adults don't have. This girl
> is only 17 years old, an age where a lot of teens
> are not mature enough to make responsible
> decisions with the consequences in mind. Getting
> tried as an adult should only start at the age of
> 18, when the person is legally allowed to vote.


But trying juvenile killers as adults is the only way to lock them up past the age of 21.

And you're right, incarceration holds little or no deterrent effect for criminals of ANY age....that's more liberal nonsense. But it WILL deter this girl from drinking and driving until her release!

d Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gravis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > Another son of Becker's, Todd, who had a
> similar
> > genetic disorder, died in 2004.
> >
> > people, if you have a kid that has a genetic
> > disorder of any kind... DONT HAVE MORE CHILDREN!
>
> > seriously, doing such has great potential for
> > creating a burden on society. adopt, you
> fucking
> > retards or a drunk girl will kill you!
> >
>
> Thats a very ignorant thing to say. Seeing that we
> all have our faults, it is not our right to judge
> somebody else's children for something that they
> are not in control of.

im not judging their children, im judging the parents for passing on bad genetic code again when they have more offspring. not poor genetic code meaning it's below average but bad genetic code as in it's a detriment to the offspring. i judge them not because they want children but because they want biological children which have a good chance of inheriting their parent(s)'s genetic defect. like i said before, they can adopt a kid, there are a lot of them.

> These people are not a
> burden to society, they are people who have
> special needs, just like a gifted child may need
> advanced curriculum. Your thinking and logic is
> ancient.

that is a flawed argument. gifted children are generally good for society while "special needs" children are generally bad for society. im not saying i have disdain for anyone with disabilities but i have disdain for those with genetic defects that could hinder their child who choose to have a biological child in spite of their genetic flaws.

this should sum it up, for those who understand C or C++

Quote
The Code of Life

#DEFINE GENETICALLY_FLAWED -1
#DEFINE SELF     0
#DEFINE PARENTS  1
#DEFINE MATE     2
#DEFINE MAX_KIDS 3

int main(char argv, char** argc)
{
  int num_children = 0;
  if(argc[SELF]    == GENETICALLY_FLAWED ||
     argc[PARENTS] == GENETICALLY_FLAWED ||
     argc[MATE]    == GENETICALLY_FLAWED
  {
    num_children = adopt();
    if(num_children > MAX_KIDS)
    {
      return(-1);
    }
  }
  else
  {
    bool want_child = rand();
    bool child_flawed = false;
    while(want_child       &&
          num_children < MAX_KIDS &&
          !child_flawed)
    {
      child_flawed = generate_offstring();
      want_child = rand();
    }
    if(child_flawed)
    {
      return(-1);
    }
  }
  return(0);
}

"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Gravis 1.0 take the advice of Gravis 2.1. STOP POSTING !!

You are an ignorant and arrogant moron. Should YOUR mother have had an abortion to appease me? I would even have prayed that she not after knowing what her offspring would become. No one but God should determine survival. And if you do not believe then NO ONE should determine.

i dont think genetics works by rand()



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2007 02:06PM by bdimag.

bdimag Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i dont think genetics works by rand()


YEs they do. the integer is either 0 or 1.(binary) Every geneotype has the dominant trait or the recessive trait. If you have a disorder its becuase you got a different allele then your parents...or somthign like that.


Here read this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genotype

Getting
> tried as an adult should only start at the age of
> 18, when the person is legally allowed to vote.

Old enough to vote, see an x rated movie, get married without parental consent, but not old enough to have a drink or rent a car.

bdimag Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i dont think genetics works by rand()


well... what if i seeded rand() with PARENTS? ^_^


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

When is the hearing?

It will be interesting to learn who provided the booze to this teenager.

I hope the authorities are looking for that person. Perhaps this was an alcohol purchase whereby the shoulder-tap operation was not at work.

To : Macielinski, hmmm07, dwi, drinking&driving=not smart, slinkeyts, 10 years


However this post is a little late to comment on, i just wanted to say a few things. I was friends with the girl, and also friends with the boy who was driving the car from Oakton High School. Yes, they both made the most unimaginable mistakes and decisions that one can make, and yes, they both ruined someone life and their families as well. But they are both two of the best, nicest and funniest people that you would ever have the chance of meeting. When I think about what they did, yes i agree they should be punished for their crime, and they are. I go to Oakton where the boy attends school. His life has changed dramatically. This kid was put on suicide watch because when he was told what had happened, he tried to kill himself. It's honestly not like he didnt care and hasnt realized that he had made a mistake. Everyday hes faced with seeing his old friends, even though they don't not like him, they just don't really talk to him. Also, everyone wears shirts (mainly his close friends) that are M.A.D.D. with memory to Chris Kerns. His life is a constant reminder of the terrible thing that he was part of. As for getting on the Homecoming court, he had always been nominated. No one was encouraging what had happend, they were just trying to make him feel better. Because Chris was one of his closest friends, and he never wanted to ever hurt him or his family and friends. He now hangs in a different crowd who don't drink and are really good, decent kids. (not saying that his old friends aren't, they just have alcohol around which he wants nothing to do with).

As for the girl, yes what she did was terrible and unlike the boy, will be getting charged because she hit a random person. (She has already been to court and was tried as a juvenile) This girl is a good kid, I know this doesnt excuse what she did, BUT IT WAS A MISTAKE. I can't even explain what type of girl this was, she was absolutely one of a kind, a person who deeply cared about people and their feelings. She was honestly one of the most funniest, and most random person I have ever recieved the pleasure of meeting. She has not been the same since the acciedent. When the accident happend and she was flung from a car (This statement is from an eye witness who got out of the car to help and comfort the girl and call the ambulance) without even knowing or seeing that the woman was dead, the girl who was still dazed, started screaming "i'm so sorry", and begging god the woman was alive. She knew that she taken a life and that was more important to her than having ruined her own life. At her trial, this girl was so medicated and out of it on depression pills she had no reconciliation of what was happening.

You cannot judge a person by a mistake they made. Your trying to make these people out to be murderous criminals who don't care what they did. They made a mistake and for the rest of their life their paying for it.

Yes, teenagers are idiots. Most of the kids at Oakton and Westfield, who were very close to both of these kids still drink in drive. At oakton we had kids on the weekend anniversary of the boy's death drink and drive and hit a tree. Luckily no one was hurt, there was however someone who was suppose to be sitting on the passangers seat where they had hit the tree. But thankfully something happend and he chose not to. Their friend is dead, or has killed someone, yet they still do it. I mean, it's not fun to be a D.D. but its even worse if your the reason why your friend has died.

i can has closed <tt> tag? idiots.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

TAYSHU WE MISS U

I heard that this car crash happened at South Lakes.

Travis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I heard that this car crash happened at South
> Lakes.


i believe it was in leesburg on rt 15

Hey Jim, try not to screw this one up


By the way, what about all those prosecutor buddies of yours that like to drink???

Teen Pleads Guilty In Fatal Car Crash
Drunken Driving Charged in Accident

»
By Bill Brubaker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 22, 2008; Page B05

A Fairfax County teenager pleaded guilty yesterday to involuntary manslaughter in a drunken-driving crash last fall that killed a 59-year-old Leesburg woman.

Under the plea agreement, the state reduced a charge of aggravated manslaughter to involuntary manslaughter, a felony that usually carries a lesser penalty. The 17-year-old also pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving charge, a misdemeanor.

Judge Pamela L. Brooks initially told the former Westfield High School student that she could remain free pending a May 29 sentencing hearing but agreed to Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Adriana Eberle's request to send the girl to the Juvenile Detention Center in Leesburg.

Peter D. Greenspun, the girl's attorney, said he had no objection. Moments later, the teenager was escorted out of the Loudoun County juvenile courtroom.

After the hearing, Greenspun said his client was prepared to lose her freedom yesterday. "The commonwealth's evidence was strong, and she wanted to fully accept responsibility for this horrible tragedy," he said. "That's why we had suggested in discussions [with the girl and her family] that it was appropriate that she go to the detention center" yesterday.

The sentence for the girl, who is a first-time offender, could range from probation to a term in a state juvenile facility, officials said. The Department of Juvenile Justice will determine the length of any sentence, based partly on an assessment of reports on her background, the effect of the death on the victim's family and testimony by witnesses at the hearing. Virginia juvenile courts have control over defendants until they turn 21.

The Washington Post generally does not name juveniles charged with crimes unless they are charged as adults.

The girl had been drinking the night of Sept. 20 before her Ford Escape sport-utility vehicle struck a van driven by Kathleen Becker, police said. The teenager had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17, more than twice the 0.08 legal limit for adults under Virginia law, court records show.

Becker was returning from choir practice at Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Sterling to her home in Leesburg, where she lived with her husband and teenage son.

A Virginia state trooper who investigated the crash said the girl was probably traveling 70 mph at the time of the accident.

Through Greenspun, the girl's parents declined to be interviewed yesterday.

Last summer, Greenspun represented another Fairfax girl, also 17, who faced an involuntary manslaughter charge after a high-speed crash on the George Washington Memorial Parkway killed one of her passengers and seriously injured two others. The girl, who was tried as an adult in Arlington County Circuit Court, was sentenced to one year in jail after a jury trial.

Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney James E. Plowman (R) wanted the defendant in the Leesburg case to be charged as an adult. "We keep trying to send the message" about underage drinking, he said after the crash last fall. "We just hope one day someone's going to listen."

Greenspun argued that the case should remain in juvenile court because his client is immature, has no criminal record and has shown remorse.

Circuit Court Judge Thomas D. Horne decided in January that the case should remain in juvenile court. In an 11-page ruling, he quoted from a psychological report that suggested that the girl's drinking might have been triggered by anger toward her boyfriend.

Horne concluded that the girl's "emotional and social maturity seem to lag behind her chronological age of 17, leaving her more vulnerable to poor decisions when she is attempting to act without adult guidance."

At the end of yesterday's hearing, Brooks asked the girl and her parents whether they had any questions. They said they did not. As a deputy sheriff approached the table where she was sitting, the judge told the girl, "You are remanded to the sheriff. See you on May 29."

FUNdamental Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney James E. Plowman
> (R) wanted the defendant in the Leesburg case to
> be charged as an adult. "We keep trying to send
> the message" about underage drinking, he said
> after the crash last fall. "We just hope one day
> someone's going to listen."

is he retarded, NOBODY is listening. you would have to have her publicly executed before anyone under 21 would really care. had she gotten a life sentence, it might be the topic of news for a week but do underage kids watch the news? no, no they dont. if she got 20 years, not a peep. he needs to get his head out of his ass and realize that the world will be pissed of at the system for such harsh punishment which is bullshit by the way because each case is supposed to be equal, not screwing over some people and not others. but really, the world just doesnt care about some old bitch who bit it in a car accident. additionally, the system has jaded their chance to shock anyone due to their already extreme punishments.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/2008 12:50PM by Gravis.

30 days

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052902273.html?hpid=topnews

Drinking and Driving isn't going to stop by them giving harsher sentencing. The only thing that I can think of that will stop drinking and driving is all cars having those things you breathe into before you drive.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2008 02:09PM by theLEGEND.

Quote
[url
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052902273.html?hpid=topnews[/url]]Loudoun County juvenile court Judge Pamela L. Brooks suspended the most punitive part of the sentence, which called for the teenager to be detained until September 2011, when she turns 21. Brooks also revoked the girl's driver's license and ordered her to get a job to pay $5,000 in funeral expenses to the victim's family.


The teenager was sent to Loudoun's detention center April 21 after she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Brooks did not give her any credit for the 38 days she has served.

btw, it's bs that she didnt get credit for time served because that's just insulting.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

stupid tayshu

Boy, did I call it!

Now, all they have to do is get those other races in line!
Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FUNdamental Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Look, she was White. That should mean she
> should
> > get a break.
>
> the race card. how pathetic.

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FUNdamental Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Look, she was White. That should mean she
> should
> > get a break.
>
> the race card. how pathetic.

Boy, did I call it!

Now, all they have to do is get those other races in line!

Westfield has been fucking up lately

FUNdamental Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are all missing the point, she is White,and
> family has money. Father is a respected member
> of the community. 10 + years in jail will ruin
> her life. Give her a break. Let her start to be
> a role model now, not send her to jail. How can
> she be a role model for Chantilly teens from jail?
>
>
> Please, let her go to TECH or James Madison next
> year and get on with her life. There is no reason
> the prosecutors should derail her future of
> studying/partying/having sex in college because of
> a simple mistake.
>
> I am sure she is sorry. How about they just make
> her do some community service like feed the
> homeless on Thanksgiving and let it go.
> Sometimes a zero tolerance is just wrong. In the
> case of this girl, who wouldn't of gotten behind
> the wheel of the car that night if she didn't get
> so emotional after the fight with her boyfriend,
> we should feel sorry for her, not make her go to
> jail. She was upset; and you want to send her to
> jail? Shame on you. Aren't there real hoodlums
> to go after?

FUNdamental Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Involuntary Manslaughter Charged In Crash That
> Killed Leesburg Woman
>
> By Bill Brubaker
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Saturday, September 29, 2007; Page B04
>
> Kathleen Becker was returning from choir practice,
> making her usual Thursday night drive from Christ
> the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Sterling to
> her home in Leesburg, where she lived with her
> husband and disabled teenage son.
>
> Traveling on a two-lane stretch of Route 15 that
> evening last week, Becker's Chrysler Town &
> County minivan was struck by a swerving Ford
> Escape SUV, driven by a 17-year-old girl who had
> been drinking, Virginia State Police said.
>
>
> Becker, 59, who was wearing a seat belt, died
> instantly. The girl, who was not wearing a seat
> belt, survived with cuts and bruises and was
> charged with driving under the influence, a
> misdemeanor.
>
> This week, after conferring with the Loudoun
> County commonwealth attorney's office, the state
> police raised the stakes, charging the Fairfax
> County girl with involuntary manslaughter, a
> felony.
>
> The Loudoun prosecutor then petitioned the
> juvenile court to transfer the case to circuit
> court so the Westfield High School student could
> be tried as an adult. The felony charge carries
> the same sentence for adults and juveniles in
> Virginia -- one to 10 years in prison and a $2,500
> fine -- but circuit court defendants generally
> receive tougher sentences, said Sgt. Terry
> Licklider, a Virginia State Police spokesman.
>
> "We keep trying to send the message" about
> underage drinking, Commonwealth's Attorney James
> E. Plowman said yesterday. "We just hope one day
> someone's going to listen."
>
> The Sept. 20 accident came three months after a
> 20-year-old George Mason University student who
> had been drinking drove her convertible into the
> path of a tractor-trailer on a Capital Beltway
> ramp, killing herself and three teenage friends.
> Elaine M. Thackston had been convicted of drinking
> and driving a year earlier, according to court
> documents.
>
> In last week's accident, at Route 15 and Harmony
> Church Road, the teen, whom authorities have not
> identified because she is charged as a juvenile,
> had a blood alcohol level above .08, the legal
> limit for adults, Licklider said. She was driving
> her parents' car.
>
>
> "The facts in this case certainly warrant her
> being charged as an adult," Licklider said
> yesterday. "We continue to have this problem. It's
> just gotten to the point where we need to send a
> message out to people that if you do get behind
> the wheel when you're intoxicated, you're going to
> have to suffer the consequences. I mean, obviously
> this girl is going to have to live with this. "
>
> Kathy Becker was a school crossing guard in the
> 1970s and 1980s at Sterling Elementary School, and
> in recent years she was a volunteer for Loudoun
> Wildlife Conservancy, monitoring local amphibians
> -- especially frogs. She spent most of her time,
> however, as a caregiver to teenage son Russell,
> who has a genetic disorder.
>
> "Russell is treated at the hospital a lot because
> of his special condition," said Becker's daughter,
> Sharon Macielinski of Ashburn. "And now, removing
> his primary caregiver from the home -- that has
> really left the family in the lurch. We don't know
> what to do because my mother was taking care of
> him full time while my dad worked full time."
>
> Another son of Becker's, Todd, who had a similar
> genetic disorder, died in 2004.
>
> Macielinski said she welcomed the news that the
> Fairfax girl could be tried as an adult. A hearing
> has been scheduled in juvenile court for early
> November, Plowman said.
>
> "I mean, when you're 16 or 17, you're allowed to
> be behind the wheel of something that is
> potentially a lethal weapon," Macielinski said.
> "And if you're consuming alcohol, which for good
> reason is something that is reserved for adults,
> you should face adult consequences because you
> have chosen to act as an adult. If teenagers
> realize that they can be tried as adults and that
> this could effect the rest of their lives, they
> possibly will take it more seriously."
>
> Growing up in Sterling, Macielinski, 37, said her
> parents did not allow her to drive until she was
> 18. "If there was an event, my parents drove me,"
> she said. "They wanted to make sure I was safe."
>
> At Westfield High in Chantilly, Principal Tim
> Thomas addressed the drinking and driving issue
> with student and parent groups all week, said Paul
> Regnier, spokesman for the Fairfax County school
> system.
>
> "He's been talking about not drinking, about being
> careful when they are driving, but he wants the
> student leaders to talk to other kids about this,"
> Regnier said.
>
> "His strategy is that he wants student leaders and
> student athletes to recognize that they need to be
> role models. You know, kids are more likely to
> listen to other kids than they are to adults
> telling them something."


She was also charged with alcohol possession by a minor last august. Geesh!