Family of Braylon Meade says justice was not served in deadly drunk driving incident

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

The CA decided to try to him as minor. That was her decision alone.

Good. Either you're a minor or you're not, and I think people should be tried as minors until they have reached the voting age. You want to lower the age at which someone can be tried as an adult? Fine, lower the voting age.

And again, for the people who don't seem to get it: the CA asked for a longer sentence than the judge gave.

The Meade family is suffering now and will be suffering for years to come. You don't have to deny that to think that they shouldn't be the ones determining the punishment.

There was a great episode of the You're Wrong About poscast recently titled "What even is justice?" which makes the point that our desire for vengeance is linked to our inability to acknowledge and validate grief.

Exactly. I was sympathetic for the Meade family until becoming aware of the toxic way they and their coterie of attack dogs are now behaving. They are the last people I’d want making sentencing decisions.

I'm still sympathetic to them -- their wound is so fresh, of course they're lashing out. But there was zero chance that a rich guy from McLean, minor or adult, was going to pay any significant penalty for what he did. That's the system.

There are other scoundrels in McLean (and Arlington, too) who’ve received long prison sentences for their crimes in recent years. But this is a juvenile and the system recognizes they are not adults. But now we have a bunch of adults apparently being encouraged by the Meade family to act like toddlers or at best tweens when it comes to recognizing how the judicial system treats juvenile offenders.

I don’t think it’s “acting like toddlers” for people to expect something more than a slap on the wrist in this case. I almost think the system did the driver a disservice by leaving the public with the opinion that he wasn’t punished adequately by the law. Now you get the community outrage. I don’t wish any ill towards the young man - I sincerely hope he can embrace a positive change and learn from this. But I can also be outraged that the killing of a boy from our community didn’t result in any real criminal consequences.

He does have consequences - within the sentencing guidelines.

Bring it up with the sentencing commission if you don’t like the guidelines. Stop hinting that someone might harm this kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

The CA decided to try to him as minor. That was her decision alone.

Which completely fit with the guidelines.

Seems like the victim’s family is attempting to use their own privilege to alter the process and shift blame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids who know him from McLean report that he’s actually serving the year under house arrest, not in a detention center

Oh this keeps getting worse. He doesn’t even have to live in a jail cell for a year? I feel so bad for Braylon’s family. Losing a child is already horrible, but this is salt in the wound.

What are you - five?

Don’t assume everything you read on the internet is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

The CA decided to try to him as minor. That was her decision alone.

Good. Either you're a minor or you're not, and I think people should be tried as minors until they have reached the voting age. You want to lower the age at which someone can be tried as an adult? Fine, lower the voting age.

And again, for the people who don't seem to get it: the CA asked for a longer sentence than the judge gave.

The Meade family is suffering now and will be suffering for years to come. You don't have to deny that to think that they shouldn't be the ones determining the punishment.

There was a great episode of the You're Wrong About poscast recently titled "What even is justice?" which makes the point that our desire for vengeance is linked to our inability to acknowledge and validate grief.

Exactly. I was sympathetic for the Meade family until becoming aware of the toxic way they and their coterie of attack dogs are now behaving. They are the last people I’d want making sentencing decisions.

I'm still sympathetic to them -- their wound is so fresh, of course they're lashing out. But there was zero chance that a rich guy from McLean, minor or adult, was going to pay any significant penalty for what he did. That's the system.

There are other scoundrels in McLean (and Arlington, too) who’ve received long prison sentences for their crimes in recent years. But this is a juvenile and the system recognizes they are not adults. But now we have a bunch of adults apparently being encouraged by the Meade family to act like toddlers or at best tweens when it comes to recognizing how the judicial system treats juvenile offenders.

I don’t think it’s “acting like toddlers” for people to expect something more than a slap on the wrist in this case. I almost think the system did the driver a disservice by leaving the public with the opinion that he wasn’t punished adequately by the law. Now you get the community outrage. I don’t wish any ill towards the young man - I sincerely hope he can embrace a positive change and learn from this. But I can also be outraged that the killing of a boy from our community didn’t result in any real criminal consequences.

He does have consequences - within the sentencing guidelines.

Bring it up with the sentencing commission if you don’t like the guidelines. Stop hinting that someone might harm this kid.

Are you out of your mind? I didn’t “hint” anything of the sort. I’m saying community outrage, in the form of harsh criticism on sites like DCUM, wouldn’t be happening if the community was persuaded the justice system did its job. The victim’s family challenged a prosecutor’s decision in a way that is entirely appropriate and let the rest of us know how things turned out. We don’t all have to keep our views quiet and move on without comment simply because a sentencing guideline was followed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

At the recommendation of the CA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

At the recommendation of the CA.

He judged LOWER than her recommendation, which was the max per guidelines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

The CA decided to try to him as minor. That was her decision alone.

Good. Either you're a minor or you're not, and I think people should be tried as minors until they have reached the voting age. You want to lower the age at which someone can be tried as an adult? Fine, lower the voting age.

And again, for the people who don't seem to get it: the CA asked for a longer sentence than the judge gave.

The Meade family is suffering now and will be suffering for years to come. You don't have to deny that to think that they shouldn't be the ones determining the punishment.

There was a great episode of the You're Wrong About poscast recently titled "What even is justice?" which makes the point that our desire for vengeance is linked to our inability to acknowledge and validate grief.

Exactly. I was sympathetic for the Meade family until becoming aware of the toxic way they and their coterie of attack dogs are now behaving. They are the last people I’d want making sentencing decisions.

I'm still sympathetic to them -- their wound is so fresh, of course they're lashing out. But there was zero chance that a rich guy from McLean, minor or adult, was going to pay any significant penalty for what he did. That's the system.

There are other scoundrels in McLean (and Arlington, too) who’ve received long prison sentences for their crimes in recent years. But this is a juvenile and the system recognizes they are not adults. But now we have a bunch of adults apparently being encouraged by the Meade family to act like toddlers or at best tweens when it comes to recognizing how the judicial system treats juvenile offenders.

I don’t think it’s “acting like toddlers” for people to expect something more than a slap on the wrist in this case. I almost think the system did the driver a disservice by leaving the public with the opinion that he wasn’t punished adequately by the law. Now you get the community outrage. I don’t wish any ill towards the young man - I sincerely hope he can embrace a positive change and learn from this. But I can also be outraged that the killing of a boy from our community didn’t result in any real criminal consequences.

He does have consequences - within the sentencing guidelines.

Bring it up with the sentencing commission if you don’t like the guidelines. Stop hinting that someone might harm this kid.

Are you out of your mind? I didn’t “hint” anything of the sort. I’m saying community outrage, in the form of harsh criticism on sites like DCUM, wouldn’t be happening if the community was persuaded the justice system did its job. The victim’s family challenged a prosecutor’s decision in a way that is entirely appropriate and let the rest of us know how things turned out. We don’t all have to keep our views quiet and move on without comment simply because a sentencing guideline was followed.

Ok. It just makes you look irrational.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

The CA decided to try to him as minor. That was her decision alone.

Which completely fit with the guidelines.

Seems like the victim’s family is attempting to use their own privilege to alter the process and shift blame.

It’s actually not. In this case a judge would have to approve it. And since the judge knocked down the sentence CA asked for, I’d say it was highly unlikely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you get to foment a lynch mob that doesn’t respect that we have a functioning legal system to address such tragedies, and then call out other people as monsters.

They are not fomenting a lynch mob, ffs. They are exercising their first amendment rights you warped nitwit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This family is clearly loaded. I hope that did not have anything to do with the outcome.

Of course it did. They persuaded the judge to give an even lower sentence. Effective advocacy isn’t cheap. Although the prosecutor’s actions were disgraceful, rich people who commit DUI homicide get away with this everywhere.

The judge decided the sentencing, not the CA.

The CA decided to try to him as minor. That was her decision alone.

Which completely fit with the guidelines.

Seems like the victim’s family is attempting to use their own privilege to alter the process and shift blame.

It’s actually not. In this case a judge would have to approve it. And since the judge knocked down the sentence CA asked for, I’d say it was highly unlikely.

Keyword: attempting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you get to foment a lynch mob that doesn’t respect that we have a functioning legal system to address such tragedies, and then call out other people as monsters.

A lynch mob? You are beyond dramatic. The Meades and others have a right to express their opinion that justice wasn’t served. You don’t get to decide that all the decisions that were made were the right ones and everyone should just shut up and be happy. I wonder if you are a friend of the boy’s family (which by the way, people know their names and everyone is protecting their privacy - hardly lynch mob behavior).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, this is upsetting. I feel awful for Braylon’s family, can you even imagine someone getting 1 year of jail time for recklessly killing your child? DUI sentencing is such a joke in this country, but this is just beyond insulting to Arlington citizens. And I’m guessing charging as a minor will keep his name from being released. Dollars to donuts the perpetrator goes on to commit some other crime, he already had a history of drug use and 94 mph is insanely egregious. You have to be a sociopath to drive like that. I just can’t find myself hoping for his rehabilitation when he doesn’t even have actual significant consequences to deal with.

All part of the joy of the soft-on-crime country we now have. A slap on the wrist for killing someone.

If you can find examples of a time when we levied harsher sentences for drunk driving that causes injuries, fatalities, or property damage, I would sure like for you to post that link. Because I don't think you can.

DP. About 20 years ago, the drunk driver that killed my family member was sentenced to 15 years in prison. No priors. He served every bit of the sentence. That probably wasn’t enough, but one year is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you get to foment a lynch mob that doesn’t respect that we have a functioning legal system to address such tragedies, and then call out other people as monsters.

A lynch mob? You are beyond dramatic. The Meades and others have a right to express their opinion that justice wasn’t served. You don’t get to decide that all the decisions that were made were the right ones and everyone should just shut up and be happy. I wonder if you are a friend of the boy’s family (which by the way, people know their names and everyone is protecting their privacy - hardly lynch mob behavior).

While posts get deleted when you start trying to doxx you still have a lynch mob mentality that betrays a lack of respect for our legal system. The community could not have done more to recognize their pain and share in their grief but now they’ve turned into ugly, vengeful vigilantes.

[Anonymous]

Here’s Parisa’s site for those who actually believe in our legal system and the need to respect the rule of law:

https://www.parisaforjustice.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you get to foment a lynch mob that doesn’t respect that we have a functioning legal system to address such tragedies, and then call out other people as monsters.

A lynch mob? You are beyond dramatic. The Meades and others have a right to express their opinion that justice wasn’t served. You don’t get to decide that all the decisions that were made were the right ones and everyone should just shut up and be happy. I wonder if you are a friend of the boy’s family (which by the way, people know their names and everyone is protecting their privacy - hardly lynch mob behavior).

While posts get deleted when you start trying to doxx you still have a lynch mob mentality that betrays a lack of respect for our legal system. The community could not have done more to recognize their pain and share in their grief but now they’ve turned into ugly, vengeful vigilantes.

You’re deranged. They’re no more fomenting a lynch mob than you are. (Hint:neither are-both are criticizing. The difference is you are criticizing the grieving reactions and opinions of a bereft family and they are criticizing the work product of a public official. )