Readers see bias in law report

Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of 5 billion strangers, and it’s Monday Mail.

Stranger

Today’s opening is from Robert Heinlein’s novel “Stranger in a Strange Land.”

Bias

A while back I wrote a piece on Georgia’s homicide by vehicle law, and what distinguishes misdemeanor homicide from felony homicide. It followed a one-car wreck in which two children were killed, and the driver, whose daughter was among the dead, was charged with misdemeanors.

That’s all that article was about, the vehicular homicide law, and not just because of that wreck. We’ve had others in which drivers faced misdemeanors in the deaths of improperly restrained children.

Apparently that is not some readers’ primary concern. Here’s the first message I got. It’s apparently from Jerry N. Flemings:

Since Francisca Taperia-Santiago needed an interpreter as she does not speak English she should not be driving a vehicle on the public roads with the rest of us? If she can't speak English she certainly should not be on the roads driving and she also should not have an overloaded vehicle with bad tires on the road. As she didn't even have a license has anyone checked her immigration status? Is she illegal? Sounds to me like something I would see in a movie with people hanging all over a bus going down a dirt road with chickens tied to the top. Hope they throw the book at her.

So I read that and thought: Is he talking about the movie “Romancing the Stone”? The scene where the bus wrecks and Michael Douglas meets Kathleen Turner?

While I’m pondering this, he sends another email with lots of question marks in it:

What no reply??????????? Is this also the liberal media?

Dear Jerry:

I don’t know. Which one’s the liberal media bus? Maybe you can track it down and lecture it on bias.

Off the phone

Here’s a phone call:

Hey Tim,

This is Don Neeley. I was reading your article on misdemeanors in the paper this morning. I was curious about why no discussion is made about illegals, the status of their immigration status, and what it’s costing the taxpayers for their hospitalization, and I suspect they’re illegal since they can’t speak English, and I just wondered why the media’s ignoring that. I just think it’s pitiful reporting. I just want to let you know. I appreciate it. Thank you. ‘Bye.

Dear Don:

You know, typically hospitals don’t let you walk in and demand to see a stranger’s medical records, even if you are with The Liberal Media.

Similarly, a suspect’s immigration status is not readily available in the public record. Even in Superior Court, judges just warn defendants pleading guilty to felonies that if they’re not citizens of the United States, their pleas may affect their immigration status.

Documenting that someone is undocumented requires some documentation.

What?

Here’s a call from Alford Harden:

Hey Tim,

I was reading your article on the young … lady who was in jail and got out on bond. This is my opinion. This is what I take from it: The legislature needs to change the law to include something to the effect that driving with children unrestrained properly in the car should be considered reckless driving. Those are my thoughts.

Dear Alford:

What? You’re suggesting a practical amendment to the law? You don’t want to complain about illegal immigrants and The Liberal Media? That’s pitiful.

An attorney friend of mine on Facebook thought unrestrained children plus other unsafe behaviors could constitute reckless driving as the basis for a felony homicide by vehicle case a jury decides. But I’m no attorney, so I don’t play one on social media.

This story was originally published March 19, 2017 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Readers see bias in law report."