Advocacy & Safety - Cyclists ask for help in keeping murderer behind bars

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/92065504.html


As expected, some of the comments are typical enlightened web posts, like this one:



I agree, this poor OLD woman did not intentionally kill those people. It was night time, right? If it is the incident that I am thinking of, it was dark and on back unlit roads? Like sad said, people who kill others when they drink and drive spend less time in jail. I am a Criminal Justice major, and plan to become a cop. So I know that cops have NOTHING to do with how long someone is in jail for. They arrest them, they don't sentence them. But these crazy cyclists need to get over it. It's not like she murdered someone! It was an ACCIDENT! I am on the side of this old woman.


If you take a medication that impairs your ability to drive and then get behind the wheel, you have no more ability to argue that it wasn't your fault than if you had slammed back four or five stiff ones. Maybe she didn't intend to kill them in terms of malice, but neither did she slip on a patch of ice and go freefalling into those cyclists.

Or this one, which needs no comment:



Hey Cyclist, go stick your head where the sun doesn't shine! the ole lady was wrong n did or going to finish her time. it wasn't u who got killed,,,,,,LOOKOUT,,,LOOKOUT,,crunch. i bet if your mother did the same thing how would u feel in this same situation. BARF,,,BARF,,cyclist make me SICK! Get out of my Damm way u idiot,,,,,,,,,,BAM,,,o,,,sorry..



If any of you want to write the parole board, the address is listed on the story.

If all the streets in the city are yours, then give the city $500 a month, please. :);)

(That ":);)" signifies "I'm kidding, but serious.")

Ahhh, the accident card. I'm sure that comforts the cyclist's family, helps them grieve their loss.

Yeah, let her out. On the condition that she agrees her DL be permanently revoked and she is no longer allowed to own a motor vehicle.

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/92065504.html


As expected, some of the comments are typical enlightened web posts, like this one:



If you take a medication that impairs your ability to drive and then get behind the wheel, you have no more ability to argue that it wasn't your fault than if you had slammed back four or five stiff ones. Maybe she didn't intend to kill them in terms of malice, but neither did she slip on a patch of ice and go freefalling into those cyclists.

Or this one, which needs no comment:




If any of you want to write the parole board, the address is listed on the story.

I haven't read all of the comments yet, but I can just feel the love. When I started reading the article I was wondering if this was the lady that had also had a long (if I remember correctly) rap sheet for shoplifting, and it appears that she is.

Until I had read this latest article I had no idea that the killer's family mocked and ridiculed the families of the deceased. I hope that the presiding judge hit them with contempt of court fines.

And I agree that a three year sentence for two deaths is too short, I also agree that probation for her crime is not justice served. Nor is one year, she needs to do the whole sentence and if she dyes in jail because of her health so be it, as it'll still be an easier death then her two victims.

What effect if any would someone who lives out of town/state have on this case?

There were only a few things that were said in the comments that I can agree with. That is/was that we as cyclists need to be aware of our surroundings, but that goes for drivers as well. And that the ninja cyclists, salmon cyclists, and red light/stop sign runners cyclists all make life more difficult for those cyclists who do obey the laws of the road.

But as far as the suggest that we police ourselves I would how the person who made that suggestion thinks that we should do so? Also using that person's logic shouldn't all drivers be correcting the dangerous and illegal behavior of their fellow motorists?

I also agree with the person who said that the police need to hand out more citations to cyclists. Maybe if more ninjas and salmons and red light/stop sign runners got tickets they'd sit up and take notice?

And besides just having to pay a fine, maybe having points added to their drivers license would also help to wake them up, if they drive. If they don't then if they rack up enough points delay them from getting their license. If they rack up too many then suspend their license just as if they racked the same number of points up if they were driving a motorized vehicle.

Its hardly an "accident" when you willfully take mind altering medication and drive a car.

I just can't stand when the word "accident" is misused like this.

I haven't read all of the comments yet, but I can just feel the love. When I started reading the article I was wondering if this was the lady that had also had a long (if I remember correctly) rap sheet for shoplifting, and it appears that she is.

Until I had read this latest article I had no idea that the killer's family mocked and ridiculed the families of the deceased. I hope that the presiding judge hit them with contempt of court fines.


Didn't know about the shoplifting. That kinda makes you wonder if the medications she was on were prescribed.
As for contempt of court, unless they were stupid enough to do it in front of the judge and in open court I doubt it.

Didn't know about the shoplifting. That kinda makes you wonder if the medications she was on were prescribed.
As for contempt of court, unless they were stupid enough to do it in front of the judge and in open court I doubt it.

The comments about her family's actions was posted in this comment:

<Quote>
Posted by: K D Location: Colorado springs on Apr 26, 2010 at 05:09 PM
If any of you thinking this woman should go free knew more facts about the case, I guarantee you would not think she is some poor old lady. Just because she is old and on 02 from smoking her whole life and having COPD requires sympathy then that's sad too. This woman STATED after the accident "i saw them coming, i don't know why i didn't stop". The original article mentioned the fact that she literally ran out of safeway because she was caught shoplifting on the westside safeway and was reported by witnesses as driving erratically and side swiping someones car? and would you all be saying "let her go free!" if this woman killed your son, husband, daughter,or best friend?? It's also a fact this woman showed no remorse in the courtroom and despite pleas from the family members and friends of these young healthy men to show some, she refused to apologize and did not take responsibility for her actions. Her family outright yelled at and mocked the family and friends. 2 people were killed!
</Quote>

That to me suggests that the yelling and mocking may have occurred in the courtroom.

As for the shoplifting charges I recall reading about those in an earlier article.

I love the outpouring of compassion for this murderess. She's old, she didn't mean to do it, she doesn't have long to live let her go home and die at home, etc., etc., etc. Where's the compassion for her victims? Why didn't she have the decency to show remorse for what she'd done? Why did she allow her friends and family to mock and ridicule the families of her victims.

Given her age and health problems (which healthwise I think having been a lifelong smoker is pretty much her own doing) that the judge was lenient enough in sentencing her to just three years. And now she expects to be paroled after serving just 1 year?

I think that with her health problems that the judge and the DA assigned to the case expected her to die while in jail. Giving her in effect a life sentence.

The comments about her family's actions was posted in this comment:

<Quote>
Posted by: K D Location: Colorado springs on Apr 26, 2010 at 05:09 PM
If any of you thinking this woman should go free knew more facts about the case, I guarantee you would not think she is some poor old lady. Just because she is old and on 02 from smoking her whole life and having COPD requires sympathy then that's sad too. This woman STATED after the accident "i saw them coming, i don't know why i didn't stop". The original article mentioned the fact that she literally ran out of safeway because she was caught shoplifting on the westside safeway and was reported by witnesses as driving erratically and side swiping someones car? and would you all be saying "let her go free!" if this woman killed your son, husband, daughter,or best friend?? It's also a fact this woman showed no remorse in the courtroom and despite pleas from the family members and friends of these young healthy men to show some, she refused to apologize and did not take responsibility for her actions. Her family outright yelled at and mocked the family and friends. 2 people were killed!
</Quote>

That to me suggests that the yelling and mocking may have occurred in the courtroom.


Unless there's some evidence in the record, it suggests sloppy writing even if you take the commenter at face value. Judges aren't the type to let their courtrooms turn into open auditions for Jerry Springer. I've read where they've jailed people for coughing or laughing. And not to completely jump on the woman's side, but her sentence should be determined on her actions, not the family's. We don't allow corrupter of blood statutes in this country.