Teens convicted in street-racing crash that killed family get 90 days in jail, probation

[Bo]

Source: KHOU

HOUSTON – Two teens convicted in a street-racing crash that killed a mother and her two children will spend 90 days in jail.

Christopher Yovino, 18, and Brett Taylor, 17, were each found guilty Tuesday of three counts of manslaughter.

On Wednesday, the jury sentenced them to probation only – eight years for Yovino and six years for Taylor.

The judge, however, decided that the teens should spend some time behind bars, after all. He sentenced them both to 90 days in the Harris County Jail, on top of the probation.


Read more: http://www.khou.com/home/Teens-convicted-in-crash-that-killed-family-get-probation-128843628.html

[hlthe2b]

1. I really do not see any justice in this...

I'm sure their youth explains a lot of the recklessness, but damn... they killed an entire family. I think they should have face at least a year behind bars and probably quite a bit more.

Sad....

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Let me guess -

they are both on their HS football teams. And white.

[saras]

7. I wish I'd recorded my bet somewhere on DU before reading the article

I didn't get football, but my first reaction to the headline was "white. sports stars."

I'll believe it's a fair sentence when I see a young black man get the same sentence, no more, for indisputably killing an entire white family with a car in a white suburb.

[Kat45]

12. Agree, but if the young black man was a football star....

he might get a similar sentence. I get the impression that football is like a religion in Texas, and perhaps that would trump racism?

[Devil_Fish]

26. Football is a religion in Texas.

It's all they know. Nothing else matters.

[Kat45]

11. Probably rich kids too. n/t

[Dreamer Tatum]

17. Why don't you do research, instead of spitball? nt

[Blue_Tires]

19. and the always-standard "Good, honest kids who would never hurt anybody"

Jail time?? It's not like they are CRIMINALS or something, jeez! :sarcasm:

[Auntie Bush]

3. This is an example of Texas justice or should I say injustice.

But they are very anxious to execute people. Can't wait for a Pres Perry!

[BlueJazz]

4. So these young men operated a motor vehicle in a extremely dangerous and reckless..

...manner AND by doing so caused the death of a Mother and 2 young children and
ALL THEY GET IS 90 FUCKING DAYS!

You can't imagine my anger and outrage right now....

[Bo]

5. Many People in Houston are OK with this....victims latino

[bertman]

6. And every day in America people are getting YEARS in prison for smoking pot or for

stealing food in a Seven-Eleven.

Sometimes I wish I believed in God so I could ask her to bring down the full force of her godly wrath on the evil motherfuckers in this country.

REC for exposure.

I'd love to know more about these kids. Why did the jury not want to send them to jail? Are they in deep depression and unable to function due to their overwhelming remorse and feelings of guilt? Or is this just another example of 'justice' in America?

[Uncle Joe]

20. +Infinity with a cherry on top.

"And every day in America people are getting YEARS in prison for smoking pot or for stealing food in a Seven-Eleven."

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

22. True, but

People who smoke marijuana are obviously deviants. They should consider themselves lucky we don't execute them. How dare they consume a substance like marijuana. They should be consuming healthier substances like alcohol, and tobacco! Lots of tobacco! At 8 bucks a pack. :)

[Taverner]

8. They were white, it was Texas nt

[Lionessa]

10. and the victims weren't, it was Texas. (note: yes I know scientifically they were white,

but Texans and most 'mericans don't see it that way.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Brett Taylor's aunt says they are "devastated." Penalty is far too harsh.

After all, it was an "accident."

Well, now. That makes it all a different story. The poor, poor drivers. Is there anything we can do? How could this happen to themmmmmmmmm?

So sorry for the remaining family members of the slaughtered little girls and their mother. So pointless, so damned wrong. Lives lost because two drooling idiots wanted to race in the same street perfectly good people have to use for their own real lives.

Rec. Hope their 3 months in the slammer will seem like an eternity.

[McCamy Taylor]

13. As a Texas Democrat, I am delighted at the way that DU now recognizes the

problems that plague my state. Maybe with all this enhanced discussion, Texas will get around to cleaning up some of the skeletons in its closet.

[MadMaddie]

25. Texas has to get rid of it's current leaders for things to get better

I lived in TX in the late 70s and 80's went to college there too....

it has to start with school boards, police chiefs, mayors etc....The Perry closet will be very interesting..

[queerart]

14. WHAT?

The family of the boys said:


Family and friends of the teens were unhappy after the manslaughter verdict was read Tuesday.....


HUH? Did they really say that? That is was just an "accident"?


I always think nothing more could shock me..... and it's news like this that never fails to take my jaded outlook to a whole new level....

[duhneece]

15. If they'd been busted with pot, they would have received more time

Justice?

[Blue_Tires]

16. wow...I've seen Calif. crack down harder on racers who weren't in an accident

much less manslaughter...

[AverageJoe90]

21. How ironic.........

[Blue_Tires]

18. more info:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Trial-painful-for-man-who-lost-wife-2-kids-in-2146715.php

http://www.click2houston.com/news/29041882/detail.html

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/traffic/100928-fatal-racing-crash

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Teens-get-probation-in-racing-deaths-2149726.php

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7694418

They deserve a harsher sentence just from the sheer lack of remorse, imo...It's not like they will learn their lessons from this -- My only hope is they don't take anyone else with them the next time they crumple their cars into a ball...

[LuckyLib]

23. I always am amazed at the parents' comments: "We don't think they were really racing."

Oh no? The accelerator is fully depressed upon impact (no braking) at they are going 90+ mph?

We have a case in our state where a family has identified their car as being involved in a hit/run where a death occurred, but will not own up to who was driving. Their lawyer says if the driver isn't identified, nobody can be charged. WTF? Great lessons for your children ... deny, deny, deny. "It was an accident."

[autorank]

24. It is manslaughter but

90 days in the Houston jail will be a horrible experience. Still, WTF, that's a very weak sentence and message.

[plumbob]

27. The stupid punks will never complete their probation.

They cannot resist showing off their new status. They'll be back behind bars very soon.

My sympathies to the family with mom and kids killed.

None at all for the parent-enablers or stupid little bastards who killed someone and will not even say "I'm sorry."

[MissMillie]

28. Somehow I think Perry would be charging the chair

had these young men been a different color

[provis99]

29. Forget it Jake, it's Texas..

remind me again how much time Laura Bush served for drunkenly running a stop sign and killing a classmate?

[Tom Ripley]

30. Chances are that both of them will violate their probation

[tabasco]

31. Good thing they didn't have any marijuana on them!!

Or they'd be in REAL TROUBLE!!