Thursday, November 03, 2011

People v. Carlson (Cal. Ct. App. - Nov. 2, 2011)

Don't drink and drive.  You'll eventually be caught and convicted, and (among other penalties) be ordered to participate in drunk driving offender programs.

Don't thereafter drink and drive again.  You'll, again, eventually be caught and convicted, and again punished and ordered to do the programs.

Don't thereafter drink and drive yet again.  You'll yet again eventually be caught and convicted.  You'll again be punished, your license will be suspended, etc. etc.

When of the above happens between 2001 and 2006, to reiterate, don't drink and drive.  Because when, in January 2007, you do, this time, you may kill someone -- in particular, the passenger of your car.  In no small part because you've got a .23 and are weaving in and out of traffic at almost 95 miles an hour.  Which, again, you should not do even in the abstract, and certainly not when drunk.

And when all of that happens, we'll convict you of murder.  And sentence you to fifteen years to life in prison.

And the California Court of Appeal will affirm.

Suzanne Amelia Carson didn't follow this sage counsel.  She was 27.  She'll be a lot older when she gets out of prison.