[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

Does anyone know the details re: the man running across the street "in a hurry to catch a bus" mid block, not in a crosswalk? Fact is, there is a reason for crosswalks, they demarcate a zone where pedestrians have the right-of-way (pending signals). Thus, the man jay walking may have been a major part of why he was killed.

You have to consider at least, that maybe Stallworth would've hit him anyway. I know there was something about him flashing his lights. Maybe he would've done the same if he were sober?

So if you look at it that way, Stallworth then could've had his lawyer argue that he was only guilty of a dui, not manslaughter. His lawyer could've argued that the man jay walked, was in a hurry & would've been hit by anybody, drunk or not.

The fact that Stallworth admitted fault & cooperated from the get go was likely a blessing for the victim's family IMO. They wouldn't want to go through a long trial. It sounds to me like Stallworth did the right thing.

Has anyone considered that maybe the victim's family acknowledged that he was at fault to some degree?

Comparing this to Vick is simply not apples to apples. Like it or not, intent has a lot to do w/punishment in our legal system. Stallworth killed someone in an accident. Yes it's his fault he was drinking & driving, but that was not the only circumstance that caused it to happen.

well said, freddy. i'm also appalled that so many people are criticizing the man's family and accusing them of money.

Money ALWAYS gets paid in these sorts of situations. We dont even know for sure whether Stallworths wealth factored into the payout... he had a 5MM umbrella (and we should all have atleast 1MM) and plantiffs usually dont sue for more than what an insurance policy will cover. Also, there is no reason to believe the family got more money from Stallworth by asking the prosecution to settle the case than they would have gotten after a DUI/Manslaughter conviction and subsequent civil case... something that would have dragged out in the courts for months or years. Maybe the family - like many of us - recognized that this was a horrible accident, stallworth showed genuine remorse, and their husband/father was partially at fault. Maybe they have no malice towards stallworth and didnt think he deserved to spend years in prison for an accident. Maybe theyve forgiven him (as much as humanly possible). Maybe they just wanted this all to be over with so they can move on with their lives and grieve - instead of spending the next few months or years of their lives in court... But to question their motives in settling is disgustingly insensitive in my opinion. Theyve suffered a tremendous loss and their loved one is gone forever. We don't know what played into their decision but to accuse them of not loving their father/husband or just wanting money... its grossly insensitive and ignorant.