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Raquel Carreras, 14, was killed in the crash, and other teenagers were injured. Shawn Ledesma, 15, was charged with vehicular homicide last year in connection with the September 2007 accident. The Florida Highway Patrol determined that he was driving more than 70 mph in a 40 mph zone and trying to overtake another car.
The FHP says in court documents that Lesa Ledesma admitted to knowing her son was not a licensed driver, but gave him the keys anyway to pick up his friends.
I wonder if this will set any precedents. Should parents be held responsible when their underage children commit crimes?
This is a little bit different than a parent being held responsible for a crime their child committed. She actively broke the law by giving her child the keys to the car! If he had taken (stolen) the car I would feel completely the other way but she was an active participant.
Certainly, when they willingly hand over the means to commit the crime. This is no different from giving your kid a lighter and a stick of dynamite. The mom willingly let the kid drive the car knowing it was illegal for him to do so. Probably because she was too lazy to get her ass off the couch to drive her son around herself. I hope she gets the longer sentence. She was supposed to be the responsible one of the two.
I sure the frick hope so.
Nothing new here. It has long been established law that if I lend you my handgun and you kill someone with it I can be charged as an accomplice.
These codes vary from state to state, but she was a definite contributing factor to the death and damages from the collision. She would get sued out of existence in almost any civil jurisdiction.
I have to wonder if there would be the same outrage if the person killed weren’t a cheerleader, otherwise, why was it mentioned in the story?
While she should be charged with giving access to a vehicle for an unlicensed driver, she should not be held liable for the death of the girl. Tragic, yes, but the need for society to establish blame beyond the person solely responsible (the driver) is out of control.
She wasn’t the one with her foot on the gas pedal, she wasn’t the one forcing her son to try to pass a vehicle and going 70 in a 45.
It’s called accessory before the fact, or enabler. Long history of shared culpability.
If he had been of age, and legally licensed, I don’t think there is any direct liability.
I am not one of those lawyer-peoples, but I used to watch a lot people playing them on TV.
Manslaughter: Homicide without malice aforethought.
Well, “she” did not kill anyone. Its not right to charge a crime here with this little intent. Civil liability is sufficient to punish this behavior.
Good Old USA–punish those that are easy to catch==let the real problems run free.
#3 without more, that is not true.
#1 is right on in outing this misleading story.
The mother is not charged for the actions of her son, she is charged for her actions. However, I doubt they’ll get a manslaughter charge to stick.
Yes.
Hold her responsible.
Set a precedent.
I have a 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. I believe the parent is — or should be — absolutely responsible, especially in a case like this.
That woman is no NO different position than a street gun dealer who sells a Saturday Night special with no questions asked.
But then, I have no strong feelings about this.
She did commit a crime, “Contributing to the delinquency of a minor” is the charge in Ohio. Manslaughter seems like a bit of a reach.
9-
She’s no different than a street gun dealer? You sure about that, or are you simply posting the first over-emotional thought that came to your mind?
Good god people, think before you post!
Given that effective discipline has been legislated out of the hands of parents for 2 generations, how can you legitimize punishing those same parents for being unable to control their kids? They KNOW you cannot hit them anymore. The KNOW the young offender’s act is specifically designed to protect THEM from serious punishment as well. Time out don’t cut it when there are no concrete and palpable boundaries to cross.
I guess if you send the kids to Iraq on false pretenses, you would be responsible for their deaths also.
Generally, no. In this case, yes!
Should parents be held responsible when their underage children commit crimes?
A very misleading and dumb question.
The corrected version should be:
Should parents be held responsible when they assist their underage children to commit crimes?
Yes, Brian: giving someone like that keys to a multi-ton vehicular weapon is actually more dangerous than the products handed out by street gun dealers. A car has the potential to kill more people.
Dead is dead. It doesn’t matter whether it was a gun or a car.
owned
#3 – this is false. If I’m of legal age and you lend me a gun and you have no knowledge that I’m planning a crime, there is no criminal liability. I’m speaking of the U.S. If you live in another country you may be right of course.
Yes, parents should be responsible for the actions of their irresponsible children. No more pawning off your evil spawn on society.
Getting parents to pay up will quickly fix a host of juvenile delinquency issues. Do it.