The posting of 8 November 2009 mentions the incident of 7 November 2008 involving a high and soused SUV driver who ran down a pair of joggers, killing one and seriously injuring the other. The surviving jogger, Vincent Saunders, had recovered sufficiently to do a run along the jogging route in memory of Amanda Malloy, his running partner who was killed in the incident.
The driver, Shea Rosen, has pleaded guilty to 2nd degree vehicular manslaughter and 1st degree vehicular assault. He could have faced 2 1/3 to 7 years if convicted, but his attorney has worked out a plea deal for 1 1/3 to 4 years. Rosen will be sentenced in September.
Amanda's mom, who was in the courtroom to witness the guilty plea, had no comments to give the members of the press, but the DA's spokesman indicated that she and other members of Amanda's family acquiesced to the deal in order "to avoid the trauma of a trial."
If full justice for Amanda Malloy and Vincent Saunders were the sole criterion, Rosen would serve the full 7 years of cold, hard jail time he so rightly deserves. But circumstances are not ideal. Without being judgmental, I note that Amanda and Vincent were more than just "jogging partners." Amanda was apparently trying to resolve, one way or the other, a marriage that existed on paper only, and Vincent was apparently the third point of the triangle.
The way I call it, that fact played into Amanda's family's aversion to "the trauma of a trial." The matter of Amanda's personal relationships would not have affected the outcome of a trial, or any sentence (the evidence against Rosen was quite overwhelming), and, more likely than not, would not even have been mentioned at trial. But Amanda's saga with her estranged husband has probably taken its toll on Amanda's family over the years. The plea deal enables them to move forward without adding too much more to the trauma they already have undergone, knowing that Shea Rosen will be paying something in the way of prison time for his irresponsible crime. My congrats to Mike Soshnick, Rosen's attorney, who, in all likelihood, recognized this situation and used it to negotiate a good deal for his client.
In addition to the reduced sentence, Shea Rosen receives another benefit from the plea deal. For at least 16 months, his facilitative parents will not be able to continue coddling him, and he will have to learn to man up and take responsibility for his actions, irrespective of any trust funds his parents may provide or have provided for him. This benefit would inure not only to Rosen, but to society as a whole. If Rosen plays his cards right, he can become successfully rehabilitated.
And so, under the circumstances, the deal was a good one for all parties and for society. Unfortunately, it cannot bring back Amanda Malloy
I still hope that Rosen gets stomped and beaten in the showers every other day for the duration of his sentence. I doubt that he'll grow into a man though--he's got too many enablers based upon the nasty e-mails and comments sent to my blog since I wrote about his crime.
ReplyDeleteI said, "If Rosen plays his cards right, he can become successfully rehabilitated."
ReplyDeleteThe operative word here is "if." I, like you, am not going to presume that Rosen will in fact play his cards right.
As you note, Rosen's primary problem is one of enablers and facilitators.
His chances may not be very good. But it's the only chance he has. We shall see!
While I believe Shea needs to be punished and locked up longer than the four years he'll get, the idea that deserves to be beaten and stomped on everyday is wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't have huge hopes he'll come out a changed man,I have to read about a case where daily beatings or prison rape made a person a more productive member of society. All it usually does is build up rage. That is not someone I want back in society.
He only gets a minimum of 1.5 years? WTF? That goes to show you how the justice system in the US stinks. He is over 18, must be responsible for what he did, and only gets a few years? He MURDERED Amanda. As an adult behind the wheel, he should have gotten at least 15 years. When he gets out, he'll do the same thing over again. Most likely forgetting WHY he was in jail. Idiot.
ReplyDeleteI've trained with Amanda and I do miss her dearly. For this sentence, it wasn't enough. Bless her and her family.
Having not known Amanda (though I would have liked to have had the pleasure of meeting her), I am not carrying the emotional baggage of one who did know her. If indeed Anonymous 17:52 did train with Amanda (there being no reason for me to presume otherwise), then Anonymous 17:52's bias and inobjectivity are totally understandable.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Rosen got off too light. My kudos are for his able criminal lawyer, who cut such a great deal for his client. From the perspective of disposing of cases, the resolution of this matter was appropriate (particularly since Amanda's family acquiesced, however grudgingly) because it allows everyone to move forward.
For Amanda's family, "forward" no doubt means a civil lawsuit for monetary damages against Shea Rosen (and, most likely, his facilitator parents).
They no doubt will get some money out of this. What they will not get is Amanda's return.
My hopes are squarely that Amanda's friends and family will be able to find whatever peace it is able to obtain under the circumstances.
As for Shea, his jail sentence is only the beginning of a long and steep row he so rightly deserves to toil.
i've met this kid personally and know the mother effer is still up to the same stuff. It's sad that someone could ccommit such a heinous act and get away with it. If you have ever driven past the scene on new york ave. where the accident took place you can see how incredibly insane the level of toxication the kid must have had during the time of the accident. If not for the upper class and skin color I would guarantee the outcome would have not been so dandy for Shea. Disgusting, horrid, unfortunate, sad, dissappointing.
ReplyDeletei forgot to mention that he is set for life, unfortunately. So becoming a man is a highly unlikely outcome of the time he has served. peep the facebook account if you will.
ReplyDeletea similar semi-related story to this might i add to the long island upper class drama is that an old good friend (possibly of the closest kind) was driving drunk and got hit by a truck. A friend of theirs was sitting in the back seat and died in the accident. No he did not get charged for the dui, instead they moved the dead body to the drivers seat and without evidence or justice, got away with it clean as a "victim" of a drunk driving friend (body) that ran a red light and got hit by the truck. There is a much larger problem with the origin of the kids growing up around here. If only it was even possible something could be done about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything on Mr. Rosen's Facebook page. But as of 17 October 2010, his official designation is New York Dept. of Corrections Inmate No. 10R2971, and since that date, has not been very well postured to maintain and update his Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteHis Parole Eligibility Date is 19 October 2011, a technicality that allows him to petition the Parole Board. His Conditional Release Date 19 February 2013, which will probably be close to the actual, depending upon how much Good Time he racks up (if indeed, he racks up any at all).
At the other extreme, the theoretical Maximum Expiration Date of his sentence is 19 June 2014. Unless he severely misbehaves in prison, he will be out before then.
We can all commiserate as to what he truly deserves, but it will neither bring back Amanda nor reform Rosen. The former is beyond everyone's power; the latter, only Shea Rosen can do.