Across the area

I wonder why the jury couldn't decide on who was responsible for the poor driving that led to the injuries and deaths. Were there some drunk drivers on the jury and did they find this kind of driving excusable?

Perhaps it is because the jurors based their decision on the facts presented during the trial, and based on the merit of those facts, some of the jurors had reasonable doubt of Mr. Newman's guilt.
Kudos to all the jurors for not succumbing to the rantings of all the torch-wielding villagers.

All I can say about this is, it is sad for all the families involved.

Why charge anyone should they commit any act resulting in a loved one death? I mean they would have suffered enough. The 8 year old that supposedly killed his parents have suffered enough. Why charge him with anything?

Dang it !! Hypo I agree with you on this one.~ : O )

I don't believe it's a matter of "poor driving" that the jury is having difficulty with. I believe it's the charge of Vehicle Homicide and a few of the other charges..."they were divided on verdicts for several charges". If this was your child or family member would you want them to reconsider all the facts in this case before handing down judgement?

What ever happened to the daughter of "Judge Craig"? Did he ever charge her with anything, and is she still being cared for at home? I don't want to imply that I think she did anything to be charged with except being a little foolish one time, but if we are going to charge people for being foolish then charge them all. In that regard I agree with truckinranger!

Ok lets see how I get hammered today. Brandon broke the law he know's he broke the law. He was behind the wheel driving while he was drunk. He was racing another law broken. What gets me is he know's what he done. But he is not man enough to step to the plate plead guilty and take what the court gives him. He has only him self to blame. So I hope this trial will go on. He will have more in lawyer fees. Then I hope the jury finds him quilty the 2nd time.

I agree with you on this one HYPO. The child was just trying to follow his mother's instructions and made a mistake. The mother was the one at fault, God bless her soul, she didn't use proper judgment expecting her son to be able to do this at his young age, without even a driving permit. I understand things like this are done all the time, especially in rural communities, but it is taking a huge risk. That is why we have these laws, to protect children, families and property. The child has been punished enough.

As far as Brandon, I haven't been following that story, so I don't offer any comment on that.

edst4 I agree with you that Brandon should step up and take responsibility for his actions. He should admit he's GUILTY tho, not QUILTY like you repeatedly typed.

Well baroness, this comment section is about the case involving Brandon, and not about the case with the eight year old. Why make any comment not about the article at hand? I know nothing about the case involving the eight year old. Maybe I will just comment on it anyway.

Thanks Snarky it is fixed. I love to fat finger words

edst4 and Snarky: I also agree with you that Brandon should step up and take responsibility for his actions. However, the jurors had to base their decision on the facts presented during the trial. If there was any reasonable doubt in the mind of any juror based on those facts, then they could not reach a guilty decision. It is like as much as I believe OJ committed the double murder he was charged with, if I had been on his jury I would not have been able to say he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sorry, still don't get it:
Fact - Wreck at high speed
Fact - Tested under influence of drugs and alcohol
Fact - 2 people died, one injured
Fact - Open containers all around the crash site and in vehicle
Fact - Eye witness who he was racing with.

I don't know how anybody could have been confused or had any reasonable doubt on this one. Some undisputable facts, a wreck and tested DUI, open containers, driver on trial, driver guilty. What else to say. Guilty, Man UP

Oh, and at one time, he was willing to plead guilty if he would have gotten no jail time? Wonder why?

Ever wonder why if he was that drunk and impaired did the others climb in the vehicle with him? We teach our kids all the time, not only to drink and drive but not to get in a vehicle with someone who has been drinking. This is a tragidy with no winners. This young man will have to live with this guilt the rest of his life. Apparently none of us were on the jury nor were we in the court room to hear all of the evidence so it is hard to know why the jury made the decision they made but I would think they had a good reason to make it. I totally agree that he should take ownership of what happened, he has to find peace with that.

They got in the car because they were also drunk. That does not relieve him of the responsibility of driving off. Number 1, if they did the driving and he had died, I would feel the same way about them. Number 2, he was 25, they others were 21, 18 and 16, you would have thought he would make a better decision than the younger ones. But if you can take comfort in the fact, "they got in the car, so they got what they deserved" then take your comfort in that. Their is no excuse for him walking away without being punished, and if he was truly suffering with remorse and guilt as you all would have liked to think, then he would have pled guilty and took his punishment. He is drinking and driving still to this day, he will more than likely repeat his crime like most dui offenders do. I just hope he doesn't take another life, even if they got in the car with him under their own free will.

It kills me how many people make excuses for drunk drivers. Yes this young man has suffered and will suffer for the rest of his life fo his actions. And maybe his sentenceing should be in question as to how long and what he has to do to make amends for his actions the best he can. But it doesnt take away from the fact he is to be punished criminally for the crime he did commit. There is no doubt he drank and drove causing the fatal crash, they have his BAC, even though his lawyer tries to play psychic and say the test was wrong and his guess of how drunk his client was is accurate. If a man rapes a woman and she turned out to have aids should he skate because now he will be suffering enough??? If a hunter shoots wildly in the woods he didnt realize or bother to check to see if it was hunting ground or back up to an elementary school and shoots 5 kids, has he suffered enough and shouldnt be punished becuase now he has to live with it???? Its called consequences of your actions and its why have to be responsible at all times especially when our actions may harm others. Had the same accident happened and killed a family of 5 not related to him in a seperate car, did he still already suffer enough or would you think he should be punished??? At his age he knew better, he wasn't 6 he was 26!!! It wouldnt stop drunk driving but maybe it would deter a little more if the laws and sentencing for drunk drivers were more appropriate and harsh, as of now they are a joke, and unscrupulous lawyer either gets it dropped for his repeat offender drunk driver or if they are convicted the laws do not allow judges to punish these selfish people as they should be!!