An elderly man who killed 10 people and injured more than 70 others when he drove through an outdoor farmers market was sentenced Monday to probation by a judge who said he believed the crime deserved imprisonment but the defendant was too ill.
Yes, law must be tempered with compassion and mercy, but...
- He killed 10 people.
- He injured more than 70 others.
- There are hundreds of families ruined because of this man.
The judge, in this "sentencing", shows amazing "compassion" for the victims and their families. I've seen diagrams of this "accident" scene and the jaw goes slack, the mind boggles. The judge's reasoning for his sentence is, to put it ever so politely, unpersuasive.
The evidence showed that George Russell Weller maintained sufficient awareness of what he was doing to avoid hitting cars. Instead, he aimed at people. (Softer targets, I guess, spare the paint on his own car, lower his insurance liability.) The jury didn't buy his "excuse" of "pedal confusion". Even the judge noted, in the record, the defendant's lack of genuine remorse or even a decent, honest apology.
Yet...he walks.
Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, and the association which ran the farmers market will pay a stiffer penalty than the driver.
Felony probation means he gets to go home for Thanksgiving, something his victims can't. He gets to be home for Christmas, something his victims can't. He'll celebrate the New Year, something his victims can't.
For this Thanksgiving, Christmas, and years to come, Judge Michael Johnson has delivered a bitter present to the victims and to the system of law he represents. Congratulations, Judge!
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