House arrest for ‘adolescent stupidity at its zenith’
The teenage ringleader of a prank that killed a school bus driver will serve six months of house arrest.
Robert Stanley, 75, was killed on June 1, 2002, when a boulder the size of a basketball was dropped from a bridge over Edmonton’s Whitemud Freeway.
The rock crashed through Stanley’s school bus windshield, striking him in the chest.
On Thursday, Judge Danielle Dalton called the incident “adolescent stupidity at its zenith.”
The teenager kept a vow of silence for three years, but came forward after the wrong person was charged in the case. In March, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Although he’s now 19, the teen cannot be identified because he was only 15 at the time of the incident.
Dalton gave him a sentence of six months of house arrest and 18 months probation. She also sentenced him to 240 hours of community service work, stipulating that the victim’s family should have input on the kind of work he performs.
‘He’ll never be forgiven’
The Crown had asked for up to two years in custody, but Stanley’s family didn’t want to see the teenager spend time behind bars.
“He’ll never be forgiven. However, we’re for the idea of some sort of rehabilitation and that’s what we’re giving him the chance to do,” said son Bruce Stanley.
Judy Stanley was fighting cancer when her husband died. She says it’s been hard without him.
“I learned so much from him — kindness, not to be bitter in life because it didn’t get you anywhere,” she said.
“He can be at peace now. He can relax.”
A second teenager charged in connection with the incident has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and will go to trial in November.
What i like is that this has been, for me, one of the best posts. This has people still talking about it and while some will let emotions get the best of them (I also refuse to look in a mirror when i type this 🙂 )
The exchange on this topic has been just great.
Uncle Dave- awesome freaking post. This has stired many.
#30, So,
If I had aLOT of bottle rockets, and Mortors for the 4th of July, nad AIMED them at your home, and fired them OFF….
ANd your HOME lit on fire, you wouldnt get too excited??
Was that a question or a statement? Of course, I would be very upset. But in our society, the accused gets a fair trial. If I and my friends grabbed you and exacted our pound of flesh, that would make us vigilantes. Our own behavior would most likely be illegal and subject us to arrest.
We give an accused person the right to a fair trial. That includes an impartial Judge and Jury. Because I am involved, I would be neither impartial nor fair.
When we pass judgment and expect a specific result without participating in the trial, then we become no better then the person’s action that we accuse him of. We will never agree with every court case outcome. We should, however, make the attempt to understand the reason for the Judge’s decision before imposing our own judgment.
Then,
This person DID something HE SHOULD NOT have.
That resolved in someones death
He even admitted to doing it. Even IF he was only dropping a LARGE rock on the freeway…AS I was just shooting Fireworks at your HOME, to SEE what would happen.
Would I’ be held responsible for the fire??
I WOULD HOPE SO!!!
So, should he be held responsible?? NOT just a slap on the wrists??
I AINT saying ‘Life for Life’…I have said it a few times…
Yes, responsible. Guilty for life (even in his own mind)? …Destructive for everyone.
What can he do that would end it for him and help him to let his brain kick in before his hands do? What can we do to educate other teens with respect to the fact that there can be serious consequences to their ‘natural propensity for experimentation’? At what point does this education begin, and how?
…With respect to long- term, societal concerns, could these be better questions to be asking?
yo this kid is so dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!