Comments on: Judge refuses new trial for man convicted of fleeing fatal hit-and-run http://bluegrassbeat.bloginky.com/2009/02/20/judge-refuses-new-trial-for-man-convicted-of-killing-uk-student/ Police and courts in the Lexington, Ky., area Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:15:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Twinsmom89 http://bluegrassbeat.bloginky.com/2009/02/20/judge-refuses-new-trial-for-man-convicted-of-killing-uk-student/#comment-1738 Twinsmom89 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:55:25 +0000 http://bluegrassbeat.bloginky.com/?p=2375#comment-1738 What makes him think he will fare any better the second time? He is guilty, but so is she, she was drunk wearing dark clothes in the middle of a road on a rainy night. Sometimes common sense just escapes teenagers, and terrible horrible consequences result. But he doesnt deserve another trial, who knows what may have happened if he had stopped and offered aid, or at least called 911 that awful night! What makes him think he will fare any better the second time? He is guilty, but so is she, she was drunk wearing dark clothes in the middle of a road on a rainy night. Sometimes common sense just escapes teenagers, and terrible horrible consequences result. But he doesnt deserve another trial, who knows what may have happened if he had stopped and offered aid, or at least called 911 that awful night!

]]> By: Caleb Powers http://bluegrassbeat.bloginky.com/2009/02/20/judge-refuses-new-trial-for-man-convicted-of-killing-uk-student/#comment-1730 Caleb Powers Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:22:34 +0000 http://bluegrassbeat.bloginky.com/?p=2375#comment-1730 The headline on this article, "Judge refuses new trial for man convicted of killing UK student," shows the problem. The headline is simply wrong: Houser was NOT convicted of killing anyone. He was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't doubt that the jury thought they were convicting him of killing her, and the prosecution has certainly acted like he was convicted of killing her, and the jury's recommended sentence would be consistent with a manslaughter verdict. But that wasn't what he was convicted for, and the headline should at least reflect reality, even if the legal system doesn't seem to want to. He's a working class guy whom everyone thinks killed a girl from a wealthy family, and THAT's what this case is about. If he'd been another UK student himself, or an upper middle class guy, these charges would never have been brought. The headline on this article, “Judge refuses new trial for man convicted of killing UK student,” shows the problem. The headline is simply wrong: Houser was NOT convicted of killing anyone. He was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence. Now, don’t get me wrong: I don’t doubt that the jury thought they were convicting him of killing her, and the prosecution has certainly acted like he was convicted of killing her, and the jury’s recommended sentence would be consistent with a manslaughter verdict.

But that wasn’t what he was convicted for, and the headline should at least reflect reality, even if the legal system doesn’t seem to want to.

He’s a working class guy whom everyone thinks killed a girl from a wealthy family, and THAT’s what this case is about. If he’d been another UK student himself, or an upper middle class guy, these charges would never have been brought.

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