re: #504 Justanotherhuman

“The chances are good that this kid will do well as a citizen in the long run and not just because he’s a rich kid’s child.”

What are the elements of this case, of this boy’s life, that would make you draw that conclusion? He has shown absolutely no remorse over what he did. He actually thought he was going to “walk away” from it totally clean.

And he pretty much did.

First, see my last bit about “justice was served” and revenge.

Why do I make that prediction? Because statistical probability based on the methods being used says it’s probably going to happen. Not guaranteed, just a good chance of it.

Some things you appear to be ignoring:
mandatory counseling.
Mandatory scheduled and unscheduled drug and alcohol tests.
Mandatory checks on academic/job performance.
Mandatory “social interaction” (read community service) actions at regular intervals.
All continuing over the next nine years.
Penalty for failing the above: 16 years in prison, even if he ‘fails’ in the last month of the 9th year.

And it doesn’t matter how ‘nice’ and ‘forgiving’ the judge is, this kid now has to deal with several cynical (though overworked) individuals all of whom can doom him for screwing up.

If I’m reading things right, one of the things that’ll happen is that he’s going to get pulled from his toxic environment - the one that self-acknowledgedly failed to ‘teach a sense of right and wrong’.

again, not a guarantee. Just good odds that by the time he’s 25 he’ll have developed habits that at least mimic if not actually become being part of society