Affluenza alert: Rich Ferrari-driving businessman gets work release after 7th DUI

[Playinghardball]

Angry citizens are vowing to march on the Thurston County courthouse to protest the arrest of a wealthy man who was sentenced for just a year of work-release after his seventh arrest of driving under the influence.

Shaun Goodman was arrested after leading police on a chase that reached speeds of in excess of 100 miles per hour. Henry Griffen, a passenger in the Ferrari Goodman was driving, jumped out of the car when Goodman slowed down to take a corner. He then called 911.

“I jumped out of the car and now I’m calling you guys because I’m scared he might be looking for me,” Griffen told the 911 dispatcher. “He smoked them man. I mean he went so fast.”

At his sentencing hearing, Judge James Dixon noted that he not only had six previous DUIs, but had also recently graduated from a DUI course in Thurston County.

“This is akin to an individual with a loaded gun walking though downtown firing rounds,” Dixon said.

Nevertheless, when Goodman petitioned Judge Dixon to allow him to attend the Super Bowl in New Jersey for “what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see his hometown team play in the Super Bowl,” the judge allowed this “loaded gun” to leave the state to attend the game.

Now, instead of facing time in jail, Goodman was sentenced to a year of work release. The protestors contend that his sentencing indicates that the court system treats the rich differently than it does the poor when it comes to DUI offenses.

More and see the video at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/18/affluenza-alert-rich-ferrari-driving-businessman-gets-work-release-after-7th-dui/

[postulater]

1. Wisconsin?

We frequently have drivers with double digit DUIs.

Drunk is part of the culture.

[Warpy]

4. You should see them in NM

I never saw drunks back east like the drunks out here.

[freshwest]

6. Thurston County, Washington state, sad to say. We've had several wealthy people kill while DUI.

The state has a sharp divide between Foxers and the Sane, and we may lose majority in the legislature this year if our peeps don't vote.

Last year we lost a SC judge who was liberal to a bagger, and one took over as SOS, which one could tell if they read the voter pamplet. Same state as Rodgers and few other Tealibans issue forth from to do national damage. A supposed liberal GOP who many voted for cut vote stamps, despite the harm to WA state people.

We have a fanatical base of Paulite Libertarians, who want government to get out of the way of their 'liberty,' allowing them to run about with guns to shoot anything comes on their land, to do workers as they please, end public workers, programs and unions and proclaim 'Freedom of $peech!!!'

At the link, the argument made for prior releases and not doing any time, despite the clear danger he presents, is part of the philosophy you can buy your way out of things, all based on money. He's got rights! He's a job creator!

Peasants wiil be allowed to remain 'free' to get out of the way of the chariots.

JMHO. YMMV.

[Supersedeas]

13. That is sad.

[CBGLuthier]

2. Judge took a bribe. Plain and simple fact.

No other excuse. No other explanation.

[TexasTowelie]

5. Now, now

it's called a "campaign contribution" for you and me.

[Warpy]

3. Impounding his car is the only way to get him off the road for a while

He'd have to go into the death spiral of FSBO junkers and that would shame him. It's either that or hiring a service. He'd look dead posh barfing all over the back seat with a driver in front.

[underpants]

7. My brother committed 3 DUI's 20+ years ago and still doesn't have a license

And, he would attest, still doesn't. He was a bad driver to start with.

This is a perfect example of how money trumps the law. He can afford a driver. And his community can't afford for him not to have one.

[toby jo]

8. How much time do his victims get, Dixon?

Um, life?

You ass.

[smallcat88]

9. If he was poor

or !gasp! black and poor he'd be doing serious time. Money talks. Hell, thanks to the supremely dysfunctional court, money now has first amendment rights! Money is more important than human life. Sadly, it always has been. Our century is no different from any other in that respect. What is different now is the ability for anyone to get stories like this out to the entire world. The only way to change it is to get enough people outraged about it. Spread the story!

[DeSwiss]

10. K&R

[deutsey]

11. "Equal Justice Under Law" has been an empty phrase in America

for quite some time.

[WillyT]

12. K & R !!!

[lpbk2713]

14. Too bad judges can't be sued.

Goodman is an accident looking for a place to happen. He's going to kill someone one day and the judge will be to blame. The victim's family will only be able to ask "why did this have to happen" ?

[Initech]

15. Well Bush was right about one thing: money trumps peace.

But not sometimes - all the time, every time.

[DotGone]

16. Laws do not apply to the rich

Reminds me of the case where some financial manager ran someone over and was charged with misdemeanors w/ no jail time instead of hit & run because a felony would hurt him financially. We plebes would've been tossed behind bars and the keys thrown away.

[Aerows]

17. If you have lots of money

and political influence (which means you have lots of money), you can get away with anything. I read the Franklin Cover-up by John DeCamp and it pretty much lays out the fact that you can do ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING if you have enough money and know the right people.

[norky55]

18. Meanwhile, in South Dakota two years ago...

Robert Groethe, by no means rich, received 2 years for his 16th DUI conviction, and thanks to SD's "automatic parole," was out in one year. At the time it was the maximum allowable by law; prosecutors could only go back 10 years on DUI convictions, and since only 2 out of his 15 priors were within that time frame, his sentence was for a "3rd offense." SD has since changed its law, and any person convicted more than four times within a 25-year period may be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison. This story was in the online version of the Los Angeles Times.

[nomorenomore08]

19. *16*? Either he's had extraordinarily bad luck or he's loaded every time he gets behind the wheel.