Jack Tobin Sentence

[Jabba 18389]

No wish to start a political debate, but what do you think of the sentence. Folks, I understand Tobin's driving record and there were several warning signs along the way. This guy seems to have been a tragedy in waiting. But of course, you can't do anything about it until something dreadful happens.

 

I don't pretend to be an angel. I can put myself in Tobin's position but haven't committed the crime. What do you think?

 

3yrs prison (early release)

7yrs license suspension.

[SamanthaEvans 166766]

It's a hard one, for sure. The guy was showing a lot of warning signs, but he didn't have a record for drunk driving or driving with out due care and attention. One might think that this friends would have been aware of his risk-taking behaviour, but a lot of young folks think they're really invincible. He's shown a lot of remorse. He accepts that he's responsible for his friend's death. I can't imagine how he'll ever keep this far from his mind and heart.

 

Would it be better to lock him away for 20-25 years? What would that accomplish? I don't think he's going to go drinking and driving again, ever. I do think he's got a good family and lots of people around him who will help him try to make a positive difference in the world in ways that he could never do if he spends 25 years in prison.

 

I'm touched by the things his victim's girlfriend has said about how she and her children do have to live with a life sentence because her partner, and their father, is gone. That's true. His life and what it means can't ever be replaced.

 

I guess, on balance, that the sentence he's received is better, all around, than the kind of vengeance some wish upon him. I hope he's able to do something powerful and positive with his life when he's released.

 

It's a very sad situation, all around.

[Nicolette Vaughn 294340]

I think overall he has taken responsibilty and shown remorse so far but aside from doing jail time, he will be tormented by waking up everyday and realizing he killed his friend. This will be the real form of punishment for him and no amount of jail time or time served will take that away.

[Guest E*******h S******s]

I genuinely feel for Zolpis' family and friends. It's a horrible and preventable way to die. However, I also feel just as strongly for Tobin and his family. I don't believe a life sentence is the right answer. ALL of the people in that car, including Zolpis, were completely hammered. I feel that they were ALL responsible for the tragedy and that those remaining should carry that guilt equally. I hope Zolpis' girlfriend will, in time, place some of her anger where it should belong, on her dead boyfriend's shoulders.

[drlove 37202]

Will they put him in protective custody for his own safety?

[Lowdark 5613]

I may not be make myself popular with this, but I've always supported strong penalties for drunk driving. The only reason that young man died was becuase Tobin was driving drunk. It's no different than if he had pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger. Thinking from the family's point of view, how will they feel in five years looking at their son or brother's empty spot at the table during Christmas dinner knowing that the person responsible for his death is enjoying Christmas with his own family? I don't support the death penalty, but if you take a life, you should surrender your freedom for the rest of your's. It won't bring back the victim, but it offers the best form of balance we can. I'm not neccessarily saying he should go away for life, but three years? Can anyone here say that if they had lost a son or brother or anyone else and the person who killed them received a few years in prison, you wouldn't be furious? And we also have to ask oursleves this, if Tobin had been a young black or muslim man, without a good (or politically connected family) behind him, would have recieved an equally light sentence?

[jg24 3707]

Well is disagree with previous post from what I have read and heard nobody force Zolpis into the back of the truck.They were a bunch of kids doing a stupid thing drunk,

 

Zolpis is at much at fault as the others who took part i feel for his family and Tobins,But I think Tobin is not soley at fault in this unfortunate accident.

[Guest E*******h S******s]

I may not be make myself popular with this, but I've always supported strong penalties for drunk driving. The only reason that young man died was becuase Tobin was driving drunk. It's no different than if he had pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger. Thinking from the family's point of view, how will they feel in five years looking at their son or brother's empty spot at the table during Christmas dinner knowing that the person responsible for his death is enjoying Christmas with his own family? I don't support the death penalty, but if you take a life, you should surrender your freedom for the rest of your's. It won't bring back the victim, but it offers the best form of balance we can. I'm not neccessarily saying he should go away for life, but three years? Can anyone here say that if they had lost a son or brother or anyone else and the person who killed them received a few years in prison, you wouldn't be furious? And we also have to ask oursleves this, if Tobin had been a young black or muslim man, without a good (or politically connected family) behind him, would have recieved an equally light sentence?

 

If my son was one of the kids that was drunk and got into that car, thereby allowing himself to be driven home by a drunk driver, I'd be MAJORLY pissed with him. Were he to die because of such a drunken mistake, I'd be even more pissed with him because I've taught him to know better. Like I said in my previous post, every single person that got into that car that night shares responsibility for the tragedy.

[Lowdark 5613]

I totally understand what you're saying about personal responsibility and accoutnability. But if it was your child, would you still be satisfied with a three year sentence? And there is another thing to consider about this verdict; I think we can all admit that it's pretty light considering a human life was wasted. After all, you can get more for this by cheating on your taxes. It isn't exactly the kind of verdict that will deter people from doing this in the future. It will be very interesting to se how an organization like MADD responds.

 

If my son was one of the kids that was drunk and got into that car, thereby allowing himself to be driven home by a drunk driver, I'd be MAJORLY pissed with him. Were he to die because of such a drunken mistake, I'd be even more pissed with him because I've taught him to know better. Like I said in my previous post, every single person that got into that car that night shares responsibility for the tragedy.

[Guest E*******h S******s]

I totally understand what you're saying about personal responsibility and accoutnability. But if it was your child, would you still be satisfied with a three year sentence? And there is another thing to consider about this verdict; I think we can all admit that it's pretty light considering a human life was wasted. After all, you can get more for this by cheating on your taxes. It isn't exactly the kind of verdict that will deter people from doing this in the future. It will be very interesting to se how an organization like MADD responds.

 

I don't see the point in destroying the driver's life when I believe that everybody in the car (including my son) bore equal responsibility in his death. As it stands, this is going to haunt him until the day he dies. There is no jail sentence or license suspension that is going to punish him worse than his own mind. Every happy day this man has for the rest of his life is going to be tainted by this stupid lack of judgement.

 

The kid fucked up.....badly. Fortunately for myself and for the people in my world, the fuck ups we made in our early 20's didn't kill anybody. But some of them could have.

 

There but for the grace of God, go I.

[antlerman 17064]

I agree that there was one person pulling the trigger of the gun.....so to speak....but the others share responsibility.

If you are out with friends with a loaded gun and some one pointed that gun at some one else....others would have pushed the gun away....taken it away.....done something.

But it sounds like no one tried to stop Tobin from playing with a loaded weapon....a car!

 

There are laws for bars and hosts of parties to take due diligence to stop drunk drivers.....why not apply some sort of penalty on people involved?

 

I know I have flattened friends car tires....taken away keys....hell I even called the cops on a friend when he got in his car and tried to drive....he was mad for $ong time but thanked me later for saving lives.

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[silverado17 12689]

what i would like to know is how they fell out of the truck i know with my truck the doors lock as soon as it is put in gear so to me they must of tried to jump out of the truck so i'll call that stupid and yes they shouldn't of been doing that ethier but when your drinking you do stupid things

[eagertopleaze 2366]

I think the sentence is a joke. He KILLED someone. We can't make excuses for him and he needs to pay for his crime. We can't count his personal suffering and guilt as part of the punishment. The only way to punish is with time in prison and for killing someone through drunk driving, the punishment needs to be severe and needs to ste an example so others think twice and know better.

 

He was a menace to society with his driving when SOBER and obviously needs to pay for it.

[baileydog 9367]

I'm old enough to remember when drunk driving might only get you a warning if you hadn't hit anything yet ... thankfully, sometimes, things do change for the better

 

but, putting someone in prison for a long sentence has been proven around the world to not act as a deterrent

 

recently the Conservatives changed the law to eliminate this type of charge from being eligible for a conditional sentence ... which in my view, is the type of sentence that would be more effective in a case like Jack Tobin`s

 

What is a conditional sentence?

When a court finds a person guilty of a crime, the person may be sentenced to time in prison or, in certain circumstances, may be allowed to serve the sentence in the community. This is called a conditional sentence.

During a conditional sentence, the offender is supervised and must follow the rules set by the judge or risk going to prison.

[VedaSloan 119179]

I don't see the point in punishing someone out of vengeance. It's not going to make the loss go away or make you feel better. You might think it will, but it won't. Three years in prison, plus the guilt and remorse for having killed a friend are enough.

[Lowdark 5613]

I have a lot of difficulty accepting that if someone feels bad about the crime, that their regret should factor into the punishment. I'm sure many of the people serving time behind bars feel genuinely bad about what they did. Does that forgive them? Col. Williams seems to feel very upset about the crimes he committed, including murder. He even tried to committ sucide. Do we ease his punishment because of that? I also think we should be very careful about judging someone's loss on the basis of the responsibility we think they bear for part of the tragedy. Was it stupid for the Zolpis boy and the rest of them to be there? Without question. But does that mean that the loss is any less? A lot people seem to think so. Why?

 

A few weeks ago, a thread on Amy Winehouse's death became very belliegerent. At the time, it was widely assumed that she died as a result of her addictions and it occurred the same weekend as the massacre of (mostly) children in Norway. The discussion quickly arose that people should feel more loss for the children. It then went further, that Winehouse's death was less important because it was believed she overdosed. Many members were justifiably outraged. Did Amy Winehouse know what she was doing when she shot up? Yes she did. Does that mean that her life was any less important or her death any less tragic? Of course not. But don't we run the risk of saying that here? That the life lost was less important because he was drunk? That he should have known better? And if that is what some people are saying, isn't that a double standard? And if we're assigning punishment based on responsibility, what of Jack Tobin's parents? This was a young man who had 18 previous offences spread across three provinces. Exactly what were his parents doing to curb this eventually lethal behaviour? Very little apparently. But is a young man's life only worth a year of punishment (because, let's be honest, that is all he will likely serve) because he should have known better? Going up to that roof was a dumb thing to do and Zolpis paid for it with his life. Is it right that Jack Tobin's stupidity costs him only a few years?

[moonshadow 369]

Three years in prison seems fair to me. However, I expect they will release him after he spends just a third of his sentence in custody. So he will probably only spend around 1 year behind bars. Is 1 year enough for being stupid and taking a human life?

I don't think so. Let's hope he learns from this and smartens up.

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