 Stories
of injustice
Woman sentenced to 20 years for killing couple on motorcycle
September 30, 2004 – An Ohio woman was
sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for aggravated vehicular
homicide after her drunken-driving spree ended with the deaths of a
newlywed couple riding a motorcycle, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
AMA wraps up successful Justice for All educational effort in Sturgis
Despite all the distractions at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South
Dakoa that ended August 15, many riders took the time to drop by the
AMA's Justice for All booth to show their support for the program
Maryland woman escapes vehicular homicide charge in death of
motorcyclist
AMADirectlink, May 6, 2004 - A Maryland woman
who drove her car into the back of a motorcycle, killing the rider,
avoided a vehicular homicide charge by quickly paying a fine for the
lesser offense of negligent driving.
Iowa biker turns tragedy into action
AMADirectlink, Apr. 12, 2004 – In an
Associated Press wire story yesterday, Iowa motorcyclist Wayne Wierson
spoke about the “need to do something to make motorcyclists start to
matter.”
Justice for All:
Frustrated by the Janklow sentence? So are we
American Motorcyclist, April 2004, Page 14 –
By the time you receive this issue, Bill Janklow, the former
South Dakota congressman, will be nearly one-third of the way through
his punishment for killing motorcyclist Randolph Scott with a car.
Man Allegedly Hits 2nd Biker in
Two Years
American Motorcyclist, April 2004, Page 29 –
An elderly Ohio man who caused the death of a motorcyclist in a
traffic accident two years ago has been indicted in another motorcycle
crash that cost a woman her leg.
Janklow Gets 100 Days: AMA
calls sentence an insult
American Motorcyclist, April 2004, Page 24 –
For motorcyclists, it was the trial of the decade. Bill Janklow,
South Dakota’s only congressman and the state’s former governor, stood
accused of second-degree manslaughter and lesser charges in the highway
death of a motorcyclist last August.
Driver kills three motorcyclists, pays $70 in fines
AMADirectlink, Mar. 9, 2004 – In Iowa, a man
driving a van crossed the centerline of a road and hit six approaching
motorcyclists head-on, killing three and seriously injuring two others.
The Verdict: Congressman
guilty in rider’s death
American Motorcyclist, February 2004, Page 18
– The trial took a full week. But a jury took only four hours to
convict U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.) of second-degree manslaughter
and other charges in the traffic death of motorcyclist Randolph Scott.
Kill a biker, pay a $200 fine
AMADirectlink, Jan. 16, 2004 - A woman who
killed a motorcyclist in a traffic crash in Newport News, Virginia, got
off with a $200 fine, drawing fire from a local newspaper columnist who
called for tougher penalties for traffic-law violators who kill people.
The Consequences:
Politician charged in motorcyclist’s death
American Motorcyclist,
August 2003, Page 20 – South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow, 64,
had a reputation as a speeder. He even admitted it during speeches.
Motorcyclist Randolph Scott, 55, had a reputation as friendly and
outgoing. On Saturday, August 16, according to police reports, Janklow’s
penchant for speeding, combined with running a stop sign, cost Scott his
life.
Kill a Biker, Get 30 Days in
Jail
American Motorcyclist, August 2003, Page 20 –
Recently, we reported on a tragic crash near Oakland, California, in
which motorcyclist Gary Kunich lost his life. At the time, we were
encouraged that a California judge had ordered the case to go to trial
after rejecting a plea-bargain request on the part of Moore’s attorney,
who argued that his client should get off with no more than 60 days in
jail.
Rider Dies, Driver Sentenced to
Perform ‘Acts of Kindness’
American Motorcyclist, May 2003, Page 21 –
What is the appropriate penalty for killing a motorcyclist in a traffic
accident? It’s a question we’ve been trying to resolve through the AMA
Motorcyclists Matter campaign. But a case in Oklahoma shows how far we
still have to go.
Justice Denied?
Drivers who kill riders don’t always go to jail
American Motorcyclist,
April 2002, Page 22 – A driver in Newport News, Virginia, makes a
left turn in front of an approaching motorcycle. In the ensuing crash,
the rider is killed, and a passenger on the motorcycle is left seriously
injured.
Charges
expected soon in Florida deaths
AMADirectlink, Jan. 31, 2002 -
A Florida woman who allegedly drove her sport
utility vehicle into the back of a Harley-Davidson and pushed it several
hundred yards in the Miami area in December, killing an Indiana couple,
is expected to be charged soon with at least vehicular homicide, a
Florida Highway Patrol spokesman said.
Driver
sentenced to 90 days in jail for causing fatal motorcycle crash
AMADirectlink, Jan. 4, 2002 - A 36-year-old
Michigan man who killed a motorcyclist and injured the motorcyclist’s
passenger in a traffic crash has been sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Motorcycling couple killed by SUV in Florida crash
AMADirectlink, Jan. 3, 2002 - Florida
police are investigating the death of a couple killed when a woman
rammed her sport utility vehicle into the back of their motorcycle and
then drove several hundred yards with the bodies on top of her hood.
Seeking Justice: Do
car drivers who kill motorcyclists get off easy?
American Motorcyclist, November 2001 -
A driver veers across the road, swerving into the oncoming traffic lane,
where he smashes head-on into a motorcycle, killing the rider and a
passenger.
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