MARIETTA, Ga. -- A Georgia judge has dismissed one charge against a woman convicted of vehicular homicide after her 4-year-old son died as they jaywalked, but she's still considering whether to drop two other charges.
Attorney Steve Sadow asked Cobb County State Court Judge Kathryn Tanksley to drop all charges against his client. Raquel Nelson was convicted in July and sentenced to a year's probation and 40 hours of community service. But Tanksley also made her the unusual offer of a new trial, which Nelson accepted.
Nelson could have been sentenced to three years in prison, much longer than the driver who pleaded guilty to hit-and-run.
Tanksley dismissed a charge of reckless conduct at the hearing Wednesday but said she needed more time to consider the defense's request to dismiss charges of vehicular homicide and crossing a road in an unsafe manner.
And yes, I do think the parents should be held responsible. I don't know the facts of this case, but there should be some kind of small punishment, something, to let people know it's criminal to let your kids play/run through traffic.
To me, I just think jaywalking is simply walking. It should not be a crime but trespassing should.
In this case the punishment has already been handed down. She will have to live with the nightmare for the rest of her life.
Give her a break.
The hit and run driver was not driving safely either, and he got a slap on the wrist, despite LEAVING THE SCENE.
This was not justice, but that's something you rarely see anymore...