Woman objects to carrying photo of casket

[Limeoutsider]

BUTLER, Pa. - A woman who was drunk when she killed a man in a head-on collision must carry a photograph of the teacher in his coffin as part of her five years of probation, a judge ruled.



Jennifer Langston pleaded guilty in September to vehiclular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving.


Prosecutors said Langston was drunk and talking on a cell phone in June 2002 when she crossed the center line and hit a pickup truck carrying Glenn Clark and his pregnant wife, Annette. He died, his wife remains in a coma and their son, born by Caesarean section five months after the crash, is being raised by relatives.


A judge sentenced Langston to 30 days in jail, plus house arrest and probation, and ordered her to carry a picture of Glenn Clark.


But when Clark's mother provided the photo of Clark in a casket, Langston, 27, objected. Her attorney said the "spirit of the agreement" was that the photo be of Clark when he was alive.


"This makes no sense to me. Requiring Jennifer to carry a picture like that defeats the whole purpose if the purpose is to look and remember," said Langston's attorney, Michael Sherman. "Who in their right mind will look at such a picture?"


Butler County Judge George Hancher ruled Tuesday that Langston would have to carry the coffin photo.


Clark's mother, Rosellen Moller, has been unapologetic.


"That's where she put him — in a casket. That's what she did for him. I'd just shut my mouth if I was her," Moller said.


Eh, she got off lgihtly for what she did

 

[milagros317]

And Ted Kennedy got off even more lightly for his drunken vehicular homicide.

That was back in 1969, for you young people. Intoxicated, he drove his car into the water in Chappaquiddick (in Massachusetts). His passenger was a 29 year old blonde woman named Mary Jo Kopechne, who had been at a party with him. His wife did not attend the party; she was home with their children. [What else could you expect from a Kennedy?] Ms. Kopechne died by drowning. Kennedy left the scene of the accident, and didn't call the police about it for about nine hours.

Given his family connections, he walked free. Not one day in jail.

 

[TKpervert]

yeah I read that, not sure yet what to make of it.
and yeah, Kennedy should be sharing a cell with Bubba the Lifer.

 

[drew70]

This kind of sentencing is designed more to comfort the bereaved family of the victim, rather than to actually punish the offender. The family assumes that she'll see this picture over and over for five years, causing untold guilt and anguish. In reality, the offender will likely stick it in a remote pocket in the back of her purse or wallet and never look at it again.

 

[asutickler]

That's just ridiculous. One MONTH in jail?!? Had the woman in question gotten soused and slain someone with a gun, or a chainsaw, or an axe, she likely wouldn't see the light of day for years. Why should her choice of "weapon" alter her sentence?


I agree with Drew that this sort of sentence is really only a sort of feel-good bandaid-type thing for the victim's family, (likely to help mitigate the fact that their son/brother/cousin/etc's slayer will spend one friggin' MONTH in the pokey) although I certainly think that there's nothing wrong with that- if it makes the family feel better, i say go for it. I ALSO agree with Drew that the photo will likely sit in the farthest, dustiest back pocket of this woman's wallet and never, EVER be looked at. Were I the judge in this case, (and were I constrained to issuing a one-month sentence in this instance by some sort of idiotic sentencing guidelines) I personally would make the defendant wear a t-shirt (or hat, or large button, or some other readable-sized garment or accessory) that said: "I killed an innocent person while driving drunk."