Comments on: Biker Down – Bob Walmsley

By: Opus the Poet

Opus the Poet — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:39:07 +0000

Can a hit-and-run victim speak up? First, I do not advocate for trying any juvenile in adult court. There is a very good reason we have a juvenile justice system in parallel with the adult system, and that’s because kids act stupid sometimes because they don’t have the maturity to stop and think before they act. That is just the nature of being a kid.

Second, we have only heard one side of the story here. The prosecution’s side. wait until we can hear the defense’s side before making any judgements. And if he’s actually guilty of hit-and-run, he and his parents deserve to be pauperized. One Third of everything the kid makes for the rest of his life, before taxes, should go to Bob’s wife and kids. If he takes out a loan to go to school the surviving family should get 1/3, a mortgage would get the family 1/3 of the mortgage…

Opus

By: Humpty

Humpty — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:48:57 +0000

Enough about me, what do you think about me?

By: sumadis

sumadis — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:53:58 +0000

Ah the joys of interweb pontification.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:56:24 +0000

Oh, I will not “clock out”. Well, actually I will, but not because you said so. You’re not the boss of me, neener neener…

By the way, I get that the poor guy got killed, that he was a good guy, and that his friends and family are suffering. I’m in my mid-40′s and I’ve been riding bikes on and off city streets since I was 6. So, I’ve had firsthand encounters both with personal tragedy and with bad drivers. Not sure what that has to do with my saying that the kid is entitled to a zealous defense (legally true), that we don’t know the whole story, and that adult prison is bad for kids. Also not sure why it isn’t clear that those who want to see juveniles imprisoned with adults have more explaining to do than we “slimeballs” who sometimes defend them in court.

Now I’m clocking out. But not because you said to, okay?

By: Humpty

Humpty — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:10:28 +0000

Mike,
I agree there needs to be a trial, but clock out. This ain’t an episode of Boston Legal….although this defense could probably make an episode. Rule of law and civil rights apply to both sides. You weren’t there either,know no more than what you read either, and it amazes me that you are rationalizing this kids defense argument….he KILLED someone and then left the scene. Save the Johnny Cochran crap..

By: Marrock

Marrock — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:59:00 +0000

Well, his parents obviously have more money than they know what to do with… so for starters take that away from them and pass it along to Bob Walmsley’s family.

Beyond that, a decent amount of jail time would probably do the little shite some good.

And remember, boys and girls, “I didn’t see the cyclist” is a confession, not an excuse.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:58:45 +0000

*****fuck large trucks and fuck the drivers!!****
ive been kinda holding back on some dude for the simple fact
im tring to live simple and not be so pissed. He must not think
i bleed just like him.

I ride and if i ever get popped remember me as a rider! have since being a kid.

( do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth )
hehe

peace.
Joe

By: sommerfliesby

sommerfliesby — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:42:07 +0000

Keep climbing on that truck price…HD edition F350 (which is a 1-ton, not a 3/4) is pushing $50k. I agree that something should be done to the parents…especially if he does end up being charged as a minor. Keeping parents responsible for what their kids do just might ilicit some actual PARENTING. I don’t know for sure as I don’t have kids, but that’s the way I was raised, and it kept me out of trouble fo’ sho’.

By: bikemike

bikemike — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:23:40 +0000

why is nobody laying the blame where it really belongs – this fuck stick’s parents? this kid’s been in trouble of one kind or another since age 11; & he’s rewarded with a $30,000 truck?! at 17 yrs old? are you fucking kidding me? real justice would occur if the little asshole had run down his parents while they were out walking. THEY enabled this tool to be behind the wheel in the 1st place. now mommy’s & daddy’s money will be used to try to lay the blame on an innocent victim. sterilize the entire family before any of them breed again.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:03:38 +0000

Didn’t blame the victim. You weren’t there. Didn’t make my original comment for any reason other than to respond to the orginal post. I’m not the one who’s resorting to namecalling or other tell-tale signs of defensiveness or having no real argument — just made an obviously unsuccessful attempt to defuse some of the irrational b.s. I knew was going to come my way. Believe me, if my feelings were hurt by “tough talk” (or amplified whining, as I tend to think of it), I wouldn’t have held up to a decade of public defense practice.

By: John

John — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:47:07 +0000

Mike , I appreciate what you are saying and to some extent agree with it; at least your assertion that the kid deserves a “zealous” defense and a failure to give him that would be a failure of our judicial system.

That said, I get the feeling that you are merely trying to stir the pot because you are defensive at somehow being associated with ’slimeball defense lawyers’ Get over it. This isn’t about you at all. Noone forced you to become a lawyer–you knew the job had a few shorcomings when you took it. Either that or you are niave as hell.

Read the “short one-sided version of the story on the internet”
again. A group of 5 riders were on the road together. The kid was IN THE OPPOSITE LANE. And he left the scene. That makes him guilty whether or not Bob W. was nimble enough to get out of the way. To use the analogy of someone being “accused of a crime by a shrill mob of angry people who weren’t there” in this situation is just silly. Good thing you wrote that. Now I know to call someone else when next I need legal help.

John

By: John

John — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:43:46 +0000

“First: “he has no remorse” and “he should be tried as an adult” are canned statements that can be heard before virtually any trial involving a juvenile and a victim who’s been badly hurt or killed.”

Since we’re on the subject of canned statements, “it was the victim’s fault” is right on the top of the pile of shit that the defense will fling in hopes that a reasonable doubt’s worth might stick and another anti-social little punk can walk. I don’t care how much remorse this kid does or does not have-there absolutely needs to be a harsh price paid for the hit-and-run killing of a cyclist.

By the way: Raising the specter people like this coming out of prison as a hardened criminals who feel like they’ve paid up front to do whatever destructive stuff they like is the best argument for the death penalty I’ve heard lately.