A recent story on Reuters reported that a 17-year old minor driving in Rhode Island ran into a tree, injuring himself and his passengers — and he was subsequently charged with racing a vehicle while driving drunk on a suspended license – eventually resulting in the loss of his driver’s license for the rest of his life.
Yes – you read that correctly – “for the rest of his life”!
And yes, he was just 17 years old at the time.
As I thought about this, I was baffled by such a sentence for a minor. I totally agree that drinking while driving, driving on a suspended license, and racing something as powerful and deadly as a motor vehicle under any circumstances, deserves penalties and consequences – but the driving ban for life seems to be over-kill and does not really address the root of the problem.
Was the sentencing commensurate with the crime committed by a minor?
Teens are still learning to live in a society with rules and regulations as they mature throughout their teen years. Peer pressure can be a powerful thing for teens and their decision-making is often clouded when they don’t think ahead to the consequences – and of course many teens believe they are invincible. They have not reached a level of maturity that they will eventually reach as adults (hopefully!). At 17 years old, a minor will make many mistakes. Granted, this ‘mistake’ was beyond what we typically see in teens and this young man did seriously endanger his life and the lives of others so he deserves a harsh punishment.
Community service promotes maturity and growth for teens.
But a driving ban for life?
As I pondered this sentencing, I wondered why a judge would not impose a sentence that allowed him to learn from his mistakes and become a more mature, law-abiding citizen. After all, driving bans for life are seldom imposed unless the offender is a habitual drunk driver or worse.
This immature teen did make his choices about drinking, driving and racing. But he made them as just that – an immature teen. Now his life is altered in more ways than he ever imagined. No picking up a date for the prom, no driving to high school football games, and no driving to a part-time job to learn even more responsibility. He can’t drive himself to and from college to further his education but must rely on someone else to get him to and from college or other places. Once he is out of school and seeking employment, he can’t even drive himself to work to make a meaningful income and support himself and/or a family.
Perhaps a sentence that revoked his license until he was 21 would be understandable. Couple that with requirements for completion of driver’s training, alcoholics anonymous training (although he may not be an alcoholic, this would have an impact to see how it affects people’s lives), community service, periodic court appearances for updates on progress towards rehabilitation, and other requirements that could help him learn and mature would result in a better outcome for the young man and society. Or spending some time in an actual youth rehabilitation facility or special school for troubled youth could be an option that would encourage maturity and more intelligent decision-making.
And does this sentence simply punish the offender? No, it punishes the parents or others who must take on the burden for a lifetime of transporting this young man — who one day could be an asset to society in many ways. I’m not sure where the parents were in this situation, but that’s not for me to judge or surmise. But as a parent, I do believe they (or other guardians if no parents are in this scenario) also have major responsibility to get their young son the professional help he needs to overcome his impulsive behaviors.
Perhaps driver training and mentoring would be a start towards maturity.
It’s possible that an appeal of his case will result in a lesser sentence in the future. And he can straighten up his life and plead with the courts for a lesser sentence when he is older. But for now, he likely feels alone, desolate, and sees no future because teens equate driving with freedom — which can inhibit his ability to grow and mature as an adult.
As for me, I see no justice or ability for this young man to become a better person, a law-abiding citizen and a mature individual. Instead, I see him responding to his situation by turning even more inward and reacting to his impulses, searching for more destructive behaviors, becoming more angry about his plight, and potentially getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while drinking in defiance of his sentencing.
No, I don’t defend what he did in any way, shape or form. But I don’t defend what the judge did either.
What do you think? Was his sentencing justified?
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