Whether the question is coming up as a political gambit or simply as a bubbling issue that it has finally made its way to the surface, the justice of sentencing guidelines for vehicular homicide convictions deserves serious examination by our Legislature.
The sad death of Lake Stevens teen Georgia Pemberton is serving as the impetus for possible reform during a political season that includes an already hotly contested race for Snohomish County prosecutor. But victims’ rights activists deserve the credit for pursuing the matter the last several years. With an average sentence of three years — often less — it’s easy to understand why they would be advocating stiffer penalties.
The disparity between punishments for various crimes is sometimes disconcerting and the public is picking up on it. People are usually quick to suggest harsher penalties for crimes (until someone they know is on the receiving end of a judge’s decision). But the Legislature must be responsible for examining all aspects of stiffer sentences and the ripple effect of longer jail and prison terms.
Lawmakers must take a reasoned approach. They shouldn’t use tragic cases such as this to play political games with a show of stiff sentences unsupported by more funding or by cuts in other areas, such as sentencing for non-violent crime.
Nearly 70 percent of our county’s budget is allotted to criminal justice. When the Legislature — or voters, via initiatives and referendums — decides to get tougher on crime, it means cities and counties have to hire more officers, prosecutors and public defenders, jail guards and the support staff to accommodate all those positions. It isn’t simply a matter of paying a little extra to keep a person locked up for several more years.
There is no need to change the entire system of penalties for motor vehicle fatalities. But we do need stiffer sentences that provide justice in truly exceptional cases of deliberate, extreme indifference to life. Every fatal car crash is devastating, but it is the driver’s total disregard for other’s safety that must be examined when considering harsher sentences.
While the final outcome might be the same, there is a difference in motive between fiddling with a radio dial and driving under the influence of alcohol or road rage. We all make stupid mistakes and should be accountable for them, but such behavior should not be compared that of someone whose behavior turns a car into a weapon.
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