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Another Bad Law

by TChris

Criminal laws that are named after crime victims are almost always bad laws. So it is with New Jersey's Maggie's Law, named after a woman who was killed by a sleep-deprived driver. Maggie's mom was angry that two juries failed to convict the careless driver of murder (the driver later pled guilty to reckless driving), so she campaigned for a new law.

The law increased penalties for fatigued drivers who go more than 24 hours without sleep and cause a fatal accident. The law allowed such drivers to be charged with vehicular homicide, a second-degree offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $100,000 fine.

New Jersey used Maggie's Law for the first time this year, eight years after it was enacted.

Note that ER physicians routinely practice medicine after staying awake more than 24 hours, but they aren't subject to criminal prosecution if their fatigue-induced negligence leads to the death of a patient. Many factors (including fatigue) contribute to traffic accidents, but they are still accidents, and accidents should not be treated as serious crimes, despite the understandable outrage of a mom regarding her child's death.

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    Re: Another Bad Law (4.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Domino on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:40 PM EST
    What about the employer that makes someone drive exhausted, or feel that they must push themselves to exhaustion to keep their job?

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:38 PM EST
    Hmmm . . . imagine a hypothetical ER physician driving home after work . . .

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#2)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:38 PM EST
    “Hmmm . . . imagine a hypothetical ER physician driving home after work . . .” I seem to remember a recent study that showed medical residents were x times more likely to have an accident after a shift. “Criminal laws that are named after crime victims are almost always bad laws.” How about laws in general; you’d get one vote for the Brady Law.

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#3)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:38 PM EST
    How about kdogs law? kdogs law requires a thorough examination of all existing laws, and the repeal of all the unnecessary ones passed in haste after a tragedy. I feel for grieving mothers, but they shouldn't be dictating policy and furthering the decline of our criminal justice system and the expansion of the nanny state.

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Lora on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:38 PM EST
    DUI laws are generally considered appropriate. Sleep deprivation causes similar cognitive impairment. The Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Chernobyl disaster were due to workers falling asleep on the job due to sleep-deprivation. I'm not for making up laws named after anybody in an emotional response to a tragedy, but when the research supports it, I'm in favor of a well-thought out law that addresses this issue. People should take responsibility for their actions. Driving or working when seriously sleep-deprived is akin to driving or working while under the influence. If you do either, you run the risk of causing serious harm or death to others, and ... well ... there ought to be a law!

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#6)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:38 PM EST
    We already have laws against reckless driving. Driving while half-asleep is reckless. There is no need for another law to further clog the system.

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:40 PM EST
    Oops. Meant to hit "quote", not "post". re:
    People should take responsibility for their actions
    What does this really mean? Of course they should. Should the government take responsibility for our actions? To what point? If the government takes responsibility, their only option is to make laws. REMEMBER, laws divide people into criminals and non-criminals. In the above premise, anyone who is sleep-deprived and gets behind the wheel of a car is a criminal. When the government creates (yes, CREATES) criminals at our behest, we must be prepared for the enforcement of such laws. Yawn at a roadblock? Arrested. Mom up late with the baby? You'll go to jail if you try to drop your kids off to daycare. They'll go to DSS as you endangered them. Problem solved for that mom - she'll get all the sleep she needs in the slammer. My son's dad has worked graveyard shift for years. One morning he fell asleep at the wheel and hit a bus. He was almost killed, yet he had to appear in court, had his license suspended and was surcharged on insurance as he was cited for "crossing the yellow line" with his vehicle. What should he do? Quit his job and go on welfare? Scientific evidence shows that a person has no prior warning if they are going to fall asleep. In fact, many of us take micro-naps throughout the day, any of which is no different from the sleep deprived state. "Hi Boss?" "I'm tired. It's illegal for me to drive to work today". Right. I think we all are drowning in a sea of regulating the average working guy/gal, while the real crooks and irresponsible members of society are walking away with the family silver in front of you. My main complaint about "victims rights" and liberals is that we are so happy to regulate behavior? Too fat? Costing taxpayers money. Make a law. Art giving you a hard-on? Federally funded? Make a law. Kids are killed in tragic accidents? Cars drive on roads and licenses are obtained through the government. We can make any laws we want to regulate driving in the car (I'm in trouble when they make a law that says no applying mascara and lipstick while driving!). Don't talk on your cell phone. Or to passengers. Don't drink or smoke or take prescription drugs. And yet....yet... we're also allowing grade schoolers to be handcuffed, tasered, arrested and yes, even charged with capital offences. Why? We are doing to Muslims what Britain did to Kenyans in the 20th century. We are gunning down teenagers who panic when chased down by police and run. Or who don't run but reach for their wallets. And some of you think what this country needs are more laws regulating the behavior of average citizens (who are, arguably the least plausible threat to you and yours)? GIMME A BREAK

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#10)
    by jackl2400 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:40 PM EST
    Totally, mfox & kdog... And, yes I agree to with TChris' opening statement that any law with an erstwhile victim's name in it is sure to be a fuzzy-headed, bleeding heart conservative stinker...

    Re: Another Bad Law (1.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Johnny on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:40 PM EST
    Yeah, doctors can work 24-72 hours with no sleep and are considered heroic... A truck driver goes a minute over his log and he is a criminal. 10 hours, and s/he is done. Doctors? Go for a week. This is an ignorant law, the kind of knee-jerk gut reaction that brought us such dandies as... oh well, who cares. Mfox pretty much said it all.

    Re: Another Bad Law (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:40 PM EST
    People should take responsibility for their actions

    Maggies Law NJ (none / 0) (#12)
    by deep blue on Sun Jan 11, 2009 at 06:13:22 PM EST
    I disagree with TChris. Stiffer laws for
    SLEEPING DRIVERS are definitely needed.
    It's a bad decision to get into a semi
    and drive until you are sleeping at the
    wheel. If a snoring driver KILLS someone,
    Who cares if it is "only an accident"?
    The victim is just as dead! Until you walk
    in a survivor family's shoes--you can't
    really know. Quit feeling sorry for the
    sleeping driver---how about the victim
    whose life was wiped out in a flash?