An 18 year old girl was killed by a texting drunk driver. He was just acquitted. He is rich.

[Godhumor]

Last edited Thu May 31, 2012, 10:12 PM - Edit history (2)

Dr. Corasanti was drunk and texting when he hit the teenager with his BMW so hard it threw her 200 feet. He never stopped.

The case was an easy prosecution. He left the scene of crime, he tried to wash off her tissue from the car, he deleted texts that were written while driving, and he has a previous drunk driving conviction.

The prosecution brought in the front of his crumpled car, they had witnesses who testified to how loud the accident was when it happened, they had experts, police reports and toxicology reports.

The defense argued that the doctor simply hadn't seen the girl, and he would have stopped if he knew he had hit a human. He knew he hit something...just didn't think it was a person.

The jury acquitted him of vehicular manslaughter and second degree manslaughter. It even acquitted him of leaving the scene of an accident, which is just baffling. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor DWI, for which he will probably get community service.

Buffalo is in shock. The hit and run happened right by where I live, and the whole community is outraged beyond words. The good doctor bought the finest defense team he could, and it looks like he bought justice, too

There are many articles on this right now, so I am just going to link to the local newspaper front page. Please read up on this grave injustice.

http://www.buffalonews.com

Edit: I added a new post of the facts around the accident. You can see it at http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=748490

Edit 2: Pwnmom and Fumesucker both addressed the Jury foreman's comments. Pwnmother in this thread and fume in an OP at http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002750129

Thanks both.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. That's inexplicable.

Had a very similar thing happen here, except the driver was convicted on some counts. But the defense was the same: she claimed she didn't know she'd hit a person. She might do some time (four years, max), but everybody's betting she won't serve a day. The driver is the wife of a wealthy former pro football player and restaurant owner; the victim was an immigrant restaurant worker. How much justice can you afford? http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_20701436/amy-senser-hit-run-guilty-verdict-should-stand?source=most_viewed

[whathehell]

12. WTF?

If you don't "know you hit a person"..you shouldn't even be DRIVING!!


This and the OP's story is a fucking OUTRAGE!

[KurtNYC]

14. Yes that makes it worse to me. Hardly a defense.

We had a habitual drunk driver in our neighborhood when I was growing up. He sold insurance (including auto) and knew how to play the game. He was an alcoholic in Southern Cal so of course he was going to drive drunk daily. He bought huge heavy cars so that he could survive the inevitable crashes.

[whathehell]

47. Jeebus...

Your guy actually planned for it!

On second thought, it sounds like he only planned for his OWN survival.

How messed up is THAT?

[KurtNYC]

112. Many do. My BIL used to work in the ER and said that when

accident victims from 2 cars in a collision were brought in at the same time, they could tell from the injuries who hit who. The sober people often had wrist, hand, arm injuries from bracing themselves as they were being hit while the intoxicated drivers seldom did as they plowed into stuff oblivious and loose. The sober people get the worst of it usually. Lots of neck injuries from being hit from behind while they are sitting still at a red lights.

[whathehell]

129. Talk about chutzpah!

The laws really have to get tougher with SOBs like these!

[MattBaggins]

86. He flipping deleted texts and wiped down his car.

What screwed up idiotic jury believed he didn't know he hit someone?

Really

[SemperEadem]

115. if he hit an animal, why wipe down the car and delete texts?

that action, alone, says he knew he did something quite wrong and was trying to hide his actions.

[The Wielding Truth]

116. Is texting while driving illegal in NY? There should be records.

[Godhumor]

126. Yes, it is

And the times of the texts were entered into evidence. As was the proof he tried to delete them (His cell was confiscated).

[The Wielding Truth]

157. So if involved in a crash while texting and someone is killed,all they do is take your phone?

[whathehell]

131. Yes, If that doesn't qualify as "knowledge of guilt", I don't know what does!

I feel like "texting" them and saying "hello"!!!..Are you

all of Sound Mind or were you Bought Off?

[liberalhistorian]

143. A jury that's too enamored of and bedazzled by position,

status, wealth and power, especially if he was a doctor. Juries do NOT like convicting doctors of anything a lot of the time, for the same reason they don't like to convict police officers no matter how strong the evidence. If he'd been some poor average shmuck, I think things might have been very different. I worked long enough in the legal field to have been there, done that, and seen it all.

[pnwmom]

102. A juror who was interviewed said the prosecution didn't address the issue

of the quality of the soundproofing inside the car -- which a defense witness spoke about. Another defense witness testified that, based on the mechanics, it was a "light hit." The juror also said that from the vantage point of the driver, you couldn't see that the front end on the right had been damaged.

So those were the reasons he cited for reasonable doubt about "leaving the scene." (I'm not arguing for any point of view here, just passing on the juror comments.)

There were also at least two other key witnesses; one who said the skateboard was partially in the road, and another who said the driver was driving only a few miles above the speed limit (as opposed to the defense claim of more than 15 above). And the juror said that one key prosecution witness changed his testimony between the grand jury and the actual trial.

[whathehell]

130. Jeebus...I've got to send this my sister

She was a lawyer who used to do a lot of personal injury cases.

None of this makes sense to me..As another poster said "I'd stop for ANYTHING I hit".

The jurors sound, well, "strange".

Thanks for the info, pnwmom.

[geardaddy]

45. Yep, I thought of the Senser case when I read this. n/t

[nanabugg]

113. I hope there is an attorney out there ready for a huge civil suit. nt

[abelenkpe]

119. ....

"How much justice can you afford?"


That pretty much sums up justice in the USA.

[liberalhistorian]

142. I attend graduate school in Minneapolis during the week,

though I live in a neighboring state, and the Senser case is the first thing I thought of when I read this. It still boggles my mind that so many people actually believe the drunken, sotted-up spoiled rich bitch that she didn't know she'd hit a person (hubby is some former Minnesota Vikings mucky-muck, why the fuck that should matter to people is beyond me). There is NO FUCKING WAY that she didn't know that, NO WAY. Then again, she was probably drunk and high on pills out of her mind, so who the hell knows. At least she didn't entirely get away with it. She also, like this doctor, deleted texts, didn't come forward as the driver for ten days, and even (and this is truly sickening) tried to blame her stepdaughter and make police and people think her stepdaughter was the driver. They didn't even have to pay anything out of pocket in the civil suit the family filed against them that was just settled, their auto insurance took care of that. Just today, the judge denied defense motions for new trials and to throw out the verdict, and Joe Senser yelled "you're next, Ballentine" at the attorney representing the family in the civil suit. NO recognition as to the fact that she actually took a life, a 3o-something immigrant Thai cook, NO recognition of what the family must be going through (fuck whatever she's "going through"!), NO expression of remorse, etc., etc.

And now this case. Unbelievable. Having worked in the legal field for years, I laugh my ass off when people claim to trust in the integrity of jurors and the justice system, that jurors will always "do the right thing". BULL. SHIT. You NEVER know what jurors are going to do, they've let many a guilty person go and convicted many an innocent person. NEVER fully trust in either juries or the judicial system. If you don't think wealth, position and power and status matter, then you live in PollyannaWorld. Had either the doctor in this case or Amy Senser been Joe and Jane Shmoe from Nowhere, you'd better believe they'd have had a lot harder time of it.

The poor family of this girl should sue this fucking doctor for every goddamn cent he has. He'll have a lot harder time of it in civil court, since the standard of proof is far lower in civil than criminal court.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. What's up with the jury?

Did they explain themselves?

[radhika]

68. The jurors names and faces should be on every front page in Buffalo n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

70. um...no

While I'm certainly part of the general outrage we need to remember there will be more trials than this one. We don't want potential jurors in fear of rendering an honest decision under threat of having their names and faces pilloried in the local papers.

[radhika]

72. If the decision was honest, I'm sure they'd be proud to stand by it n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

74. It's not what these jurors think its about future jurors

There's a reason people get to vote in private: to protect them from outside pressure and influence.

[radhika]

97. Actually, I do get your point - and my second comment was sarcastic...but

I am so drained by hearing of overturned convictions, the heartbreaking findings of the Innocence Project (100+ death row exonerations), the police brutality acquittals despite video evidence. (Rodney King?)...not to mention stupid celebrity trials here in LA.

As these sordid and indefensible (IMHO) verdicts roll out nationwide, I really can't give the jurors a clear walk. Most courtrooms are open, and usually spectators can get a seat. They see the jurors. In small towns, quite likely people know them already. Our celeb jurors (remember OJ?) published books and got some face-time on TV.

The deck is stacked against defendants everywhere I look. Our entire legal system, assumed validity of police testimony, botched forensics...I'm just sayin.

[TheWraith]

93. "If you're not doing anything wrong, you have no need for privacy!"

See how incredibly ridiculous and horrible an idea that is when you change the words a little?

[awoke_in_2003]

121. sadly, too many people...

agree with that statement, too.

[trumad]

3. kilted?

You can edit.

[Godhumor]

5. Already have. Damn that auto-complete n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

71. When I first saw this thread I thought maybe English wasn't your 1st language

Apparently auto-correct is here on an H1B visa.

[CanonRay]

4. One set of rules for the wealthy, and another set for the rest of us

That's our justice system today. We're approaching 17th century England, heading toward Medieval times.

[DLevine]

7. Exactly right. n/t

[Nuclear Unicorn]

11. Apparently the DA (read: The System) put up a strong case. It was the jury that did this.

I'd be interested to hear why.

[Godhumor]

15. Jury hasn't spoken about decision yet, but the consensus is they believed his testimony

That he didn't see the girl skateboarding. I really, really want to hear the explanation for the "leaving the crime scene" not guilty verdict.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

22. ditto. It's just stunning. n/t

[msanthrope]

34. What was his BAC? nt

[Godhumor]

57. He refused the breathalyzer and had his blood forcibly drawn 5 hours after the hit and run

Based on the blood test, his BAC was estimated at 0.14 to 0.21 when he hit the girl.

[msanthrope]

65. So he challenged the estimated BAC, and the jury believed his expert?

[Godhumor]

73. 5 hours after, his BAC was still 0.1

So he was still legally drunk even then.

As more comes out, it sounds like the jury was asked to decide if the doctor:

Hit and killed the girl, realized what he had done and tried to cover it up (deleting text messages, wiping down the car, etc)

Or

He was judgment impaired to the point that he hadn't realized something happened and then panicked when discovered. In other words a terrible accident but an accident nonetheless.

Looks like the jury took choice number 2.

[msanthrope]

85. If that is what the jury faced, then I can tell you you win that case on

jury selection.

[Godhumor]

91. ironically, a juror was dismissed on the 5th day after being cited for aggravated DWI

He had a BAC of 0.25 and hit a utility pole and then fleeing. He did this while being an active juror on this case.

The judge was not pleased, to say the least.

[joshcryer]

123. That is fucking appalling.

This whole thing is infuriating.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

88. As a doctor, he may have known how to purge alcohol from his system with deep breathing.

If he did that, the estimate was off.

[LiberalFighter]

78. Whether he saw or didn't see the girl should not had been a defense.

He failed to pay attention to his driving. That would be negligence on his part at the minimum.

I would be making sure I knew who each and everyone of those jurors are and if in the future they also were involved in an accident there would be no mercy on them.

[liberalhistorian]

145. I suppose it never occurred to the dumbfucks

that he didn't see her because he was both drunk and texting? Sheesh, what fucking idiots.

[Odin2005]

81. Most juries are full of morons.

The lawyers vet out any potential jurors that show any bit of intelligence.

[pnwmom]

103. Here are some reasons cited by a juror.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=749353

[14thColony]

26. I've come to the point of view recently

...that the ultra-right and the ultra-wealthy are more interest in Feudalism than Fascism. Fascism at least had no interest in re-imposing serfdom.

[Johonny]

37. They want slavery

only with free range slaves. All the beauty of free work, none of the burden of housing, feeding, clothing...

[malthaussen]

40. It's called Bastard Feudalism

That's an actual term. The differences between it and regular feudalism are many and complex, but what they boil down to is this: the Lord gets all of the advantages and none of the obligations.

-- Mal

[whathehell]

50. Yup...I took a history course awhile ago and it seems that at one time

in American history, in and around the Revolutionary War,

some northern states deemed slavery "too expensive"

insofar as they had to pay for food and housing and such.

This may be the "alternative".

[coalition_unwilling]

55. Ha-ha. That's a good one! Interesting question: which was worse for workers,

feudalism or fascism? I'd say on balance fascism was\is marginally worse but it really might come down to how big an asshole your feudal lord is (or was).

[SharonAnn]

75. Read "The Great Gatsby", especially how Tom & Daisy cover up a hit and run.

"The rich are different."

[joshcryer]

124. Oh, we've never moved beyond fudalism.

To be sure.

[liberalhistorian]

144. Today? TODAY?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's the way it's ALWAYS been, whether we want to admit it or not. In fact, it used to be far worse, especially against anyone who wasn't white and middle-upper class. The reforms of the 50's and 60's and into the 70's helped greatly, but we've still got a long way to go and we're actually heading backwards at this point. And with the current Supreme Court, expect that backwards roll to continue apace.

[warrior1]

6. he'll kill again

unfortunately.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. His next victim may well be a patient

He's an alcoholic; he should lose his license.

[lunasun]

150. exactly

[uponit7771]

9. What's up with the judge, he could ask the jury how they came to this conclusion...

...and get an answer.

[Fumesucker]

10. The good doctor..

He certainly doesn't *look* like a criminal..

[barbtries]

42. no but he looks like a drunk to me.

this breaks my heart. it's so wrong. i hope her family is planning to take him down in a civil suit. they should be able to make his life harder somehow.

[MrYikes]

13. I have seen the face of evil. nt

[lumpy]

36. My God, when I saw his pic I immediatey thought the same thing. Eerie.

nt

[Drale]

16. I've said for years, ever since the O.J. crap that

the only way to stop this is for the jury and the judge to never know how the defendant is. Completely anonymous, that way everyone is always treated equal. Black, white, rich poor, male female, it doesn't matter because the jury will never know any of that.

[surrealAmerican]

87. I understand that as an "ideal", but ...

... in an actual trial, it could never work. The specifics of the case would have too many clues as to the financial standing of the defendant: the car he was driving, the neighborhood he drove back to, etc. The jury needs as much information as they can get about the crime to make a fair decision.

[atreides1]

17. I see a possible reason why the jury ruled the way it did

"...hit-run that killed 18-year-old longboard skater Alexandria "Alix" Rice..."

He's a doctor and she's one of those annoying skateboarders they always hear about...

[99Forever]

18. There is no justice in this Nation anymore.

Our courts, just like the other two arms of government, have been sold to the 1%, at discount prices.

It saddens me to know, deep down in my bones where this is leading.

[MrYikes]

19. Is it possible

for it to be different this time?

[99Forever]

24. Anything is possible.

However, the odds are highly stacked against it. I fear we have already passed the tipping point. The blatant openness with which the 1% thumb their nose at us, tells me that things will come to a head, one way or another. Will those that own everything, including our government give it up without violence? I don't know, but they will give it up.

[NYC Liberal]

21. Anymore?

Sadly it's always been like this. Yes things have fluctuated between better and worse but the rich have always had things tilted in their favor. The poor in the 19th century were definitely getting fucked by the wealthy.

[coalition_unwilling]

56. As Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog wrote so many years ago:

Them that's got shall get. Them that's not shall lose. So the Bible said and it still is news.

("God Bless the Child&quot

As true (and as sad) now as it was when Billie sang it.

[Whiskeytide]

59. It HAS always been that way...

... but government's role use to be to try and level the scales at least a bit because it had to respond - lethargically, but still respond - to public opinion. Consumer protection laws, anti-trust laws, regulatory agencies, trial lawyers - they all use to have some teeth, and big money was a little afraid of them. Even politicians use to have to pander to the public at least a little for votes, and could never be outright caught consorting with big money interests. The problem is that the 1% got to the media - especially TV, and now public opinion can be "shaped" rather than merely catered to. Now they can buy politicians openly, and if there's flak about it, they run an ad/pundit/talking head campaign to squelch it.

I really believe Watergate and the Nixon scandal was the single greatest educational event for the right wing in the last 100 years. They learned what they had to do to not get exposed again. And they've done it.

[NYC Liberal]

106. Well, we have seen this before.

Like I said, it fluctuates. In the 19th century (think Gilded Age, robber barons etc) the poor were really screwed and the government was certainly not protecting them. Then the progressives and labor unions came along and fought to fix the system. FDR significantly strengthened those reforms.

What we're seeing now is not something necessarily new, but a horrible regression to the Gilded Age.

[Bellerophon]

51. the jury made

The decision not the court.... I find it unlikely that it was a 1% issue.

It would be nice to hear from the jury to know why instead of just baseless speculatikn

[99Forever]

89. You actually think...

.. that this travesty of justice perpetrated upon an innocent teen from a family with only modest means, by a VERY WEALTHY killer, wasn't affected by money?

Really?

Wanna buy a bridge? I can get you one heck of a deal.

[Bellerophon]

92. are you

Saying that the jury was bribed? I am not defending him. In the end the jury made the choice....

But why is the question and we willnnever know unless they speak out

[99Forever]

98. And you think the only way a jury's decision...

... can be influence unfairly is by bribing THEM?


I can still line you up with that bridge.

[Bellerophon]

100. the

Fact is we do not know why they made those choices.........

[99Forever]

148. Piffle.

[WI_DEM]

20. Got money and connections you can get away with anything in this country.

[AlbertCat]

23. Anyone... of any age, caught driving & texting....

.... should lose their driving privileges FOR LIFE.... no ifs ands or buts.

[napoleon_in_rags]

120. Its moving in an interesting direction.

Toward legislation which cuts off texting ability in moving car. (hopefully not bus) I would like to hear a tech expert explain the ramifications of such legislation: Would it require a dimension of GPS tracking not already present? Smartphones have accelerometers, but I don't know if they are smart enough to recognize car movement on their own. It would be nice to have some functionality which blocks it without more privacy infringements, I can tell you that.

[Ghost in the Machine]

151. Why shouldn't passengers be allowed to text? Can they differentiate between a driver and passenger?

If my girlfriend is driving, why should that stop ME from texting someone? Yes, texting and driving is bad, but this is a HUGE slippery slope... giving up more liberties doesn't seem to phase some people.

[napoleon_in_rags]

154. Yeah I was thinking about that.

I heard the comment that it was coming on CNN, and that was my first question. How could it tell if the person is driving? I'm decently tech savvy and could not for the life of me think of a way. My interpretation was that they would block it all.

Cell phone makers should move toward a universal mount standard, so everybody can plug their cell phone into a universal dash mount, which directs music, gps directions, and conversations through speakers. That would help.

[msanthrope]

25. He hit a skateboarder wearing dark clothing at 11:40 pm?

Yeah...some smart lawyering will make that reasonable doubt.

[Godhumor]

39. The prosecution showed how the victim was highly visible from a significant distance

The defense, when confronted with what she would look like in the BMW headlights claimed all the doctor saw was a "Small, dark silhouette". In other words they argued he was to drunk to process what he was seeing, and he shouldn't be blamed for not stopping after he hit the silhouette.

I am shocked this defense worked.

[malthaussen]

41. Why are you shocked?

'Twas not that long ago that a man got off a murder charge by claiming he ate too many Twinkies.

-- Mal

[backscatter712]

43. It was Dan White who used the Twinkie Defense to get off of murdering Harvey Milk. n/t

[msanthrope]

46. Have any links on that evidence? Ultimately the jury does not have to buy

scientific theories presented by the prosecution.

[Godhumor]

77. I misspoke, it was testimony not introduced evidence

I'm at work and on a cell, so I can't really search links right now. If you google "Mark Rowland testimony" or similar, you should find the transcript.

[rocktivity]

52. He was too drunk to process what he was seeing

but he was sober enough to text and drive???


rocktivity

[joshcryer]

125. Even if he was, he should still get manslaughter. The fact that the jury bought the argument...

...that basically "he was too drunk to know better" is mind boggling.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. He would have stopped if he knew he'd hit a human? I hit anything, I STOP.

Good grief, what a lousy excuse.

[rocktivity]

35. He admits he KNOWS he hit something

Last edited Thu May 31, 2012, 11:29 AM - Edit history (1)

but he didn't know WHAT it was? You stop until you figure out WHAT you hit! And what doctor doesn't know human tissue when he sees it.


rocktivity

[SGMRTDARMY]

28. And once again

the best justice money can buy.
If your rich in America, you can usually buy your freedom.
Disgusting

[Zalatix]

29. Pure sociopathy. This is how a typical corporation behaves. This is how Capitalism behaves.

[Fresh_Start]

30. Would it be possible to have his medical license removed?

Don't know that the inhuman has the necessary capacity to be a doctor.

[Stuart G]

31. k and r..nt

[ZombieHorde]

32. Our legal system obviously favors the wealthy over the poor.

We would have to get rid of private lawyers to to make things more equal.

[rocktivity]

33. A judge can nullify a verdict if he feels it doesn't fit the evidence.

The fact that he didn't know he hit someone doesn't make it any less of a crime. It sounds more like victim was convicted of being a "punk kid" who didn't have enough sense not to skateboard where cars are.


rocktivity

[msanthrope]

38. a judge can not nullify an acquittal.

[alcibiades_mystery]

61. A judge can nullify a conviction (in some jurisdictions), but not an acquittal

Just sayin'...

[azurnoir]

44. Hopefully the civil case will be more 'successful'

and hit the 'good' Dr in the one place these types understand

[Baitball Blogger]

49. That case needs to be reviewed and reexamined.

The prosecutor obviously screwed up, but the judge's instructions to the jury is also suspect.

[raouldukelives]

53. Some pigs are more equal than others.

It's not a suspected pattern. It is a pattern. It is the way it works in the USA and has for many years but not at the obscene level it is reaching over the last decade or so. I was following a local case here a couple years back where a HS athlete with wealth and family connections hit, killed and ran an old man because he was late for practice. He wound up with community service.
Another one happened involving a rich girl texting, speeding and oops, permanently disabling a small child in the crosswalk with her expensive car. Community service.
One other case I recall sticking out to me was the one about a hedge fund guy in Colorado hit & running a surgeon who was out riding his bike. I think he got off pretty light as well.

It's sad you hear so many and you start to lose track. For everyone of those stories there are stories of poor people being beaten, tazed & humiliated to the core before serving harsh sentences and then carrying a target for life after stealing a hot dog when they are starving or for being found in possession of a small amount of weed after being stopped for jaywalking.
We've always had two levels of justice in this country. Just never to the extent that modern techniques & technology has allowed it to progress. It's almost criminal in itself. Our combined indifference to the ever mounting degradation of the weakest among us.

[DLevine]

90. Well said. I couldn't agree with you more. n/t

[lastlib]

54. DUIWR* isn't a crime. Ask George Bush.

(*Driving Under Influence While Rich)

[Smilo]

58. This happened near me

a few years back - the woman driver was very well connected - the man she killed was poor and was walking home after work - she knew she had "hit something" - went home and had a drink - after calling her attorney. Because she had that drink they couldn't prove she was under the influence when driving - though it was well known she drove drunk.

She got away with it and kept her job - a local tv anchor - I gag each time I see her.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

60. There will be a different kind of justice, though not criminal.

I can't explain the jury's actions either, but I don't see them as having any obligation to justify the acquittal.

Keep in mind there will be a civil wrongful death suit, and the attorney who represents the woman's family will know exactly where the prosecution went wrong.

I expect the state medical board will shortly be flooded with calls for this man's license.

And don't underestimate the power of a good shunning, which is truly the free market at work -- would you want this lush tending to your medical needs? Would you want him patronizing your business?

[ut oh]

104. I was thinking similarly

It is a travesty of justice, but hopefully, Karma will catch up to him in the end.

He should have his license to practice medicin revoked and should be boycotted in everything he does for the rest of his life.

[Hubert Flottz]

62. They can't put Dr. Corsanti in jail

He's too big to jail...and besides that, they need to save Doktor Corsanti's bed in a jail cell, for some wild eyed young desperado pot smoker.

[benld74]

63. WTF is in the BUffalo drinking water?

[Meiko]

64. Doesn't exactly

reinforce the faith we have in our justice system. Something smells fishy here. I would like to see a chart on how all of these people are connected. There is something going on here.

[datasuspect]

66. money talks, bullshit walks

[magical thyme]

67. blame the victim mentality?

The probably considered her partly at fault for skateboarding after dark in the street.

But nothing excuses driving drunk or leaving the scene in any way, shape or form. And why didn't the prosecutor add attempted obstruction of justice by washing tissue off his car and deleting his texts?

[valerief]

69. So remind me what makes us different from a banana republic? nt

[deaniac21]

76. This is what Bush has done to America

[liberalhistorian]

147. Um......no, don't think so.

This kind of shit has always happened in this country. There's never been a time in our history when it hasn't.

[Odin2005]

79. Laws only apply to us little people.

[harmonicon]

80. I understand being upset about a death...

but I don't understand when people are up in arms about court cases they were not a part of and don't involve people they know personally. This is why we have trials. The system isn't step 1. accusation, step 2. sentencing.

[Godhumor]

82. for those interested, quick bullet points on the case

I can't claim to be unbiased, but I will try to give the events surrounding the accident with as little commentary as possible.

The victim was an 18 year old female skateboarding home from work.

Dr Corasanti struck the victim at approximately 11:20 PM going between 45 and 55 miles per hour.

The hit occurred in the bicycle lane.

The victim was tossed 200 feet from the impact. This put 8 inch deep dents in the front of the car and ripped off a side mirror.

The victim died of blunt force trauma resulting in broken ribs, a severed trachea, brain injuries and internal decapitation (the neck is severed but the skin stays intact). An expert testified she died almost instantly.

The doctor drove home. He would then proceed to delete text messages from when he was driving. Evidence was also found that he wiped down the front of his car.

He refused a breathalyzer test and had blood involuntarily drawn 5 hours after the accident. The BAC of the blood was 0.1 putting his BAC at between 0.14 and 0.21 when he hit the victim.

[July]

117. Can you confirm something I read about this trial?

I've been reading about this trial in the Buffalo News (I'm from Buffalo but don't live there), and a comment in the article about the acquittal said that Corasanti went home and called his lawyer, but not the police or 911, and that his wife (who went to the scene to check it out) did not call the police or 911, either. Is that right?

I remember reading about the wife going to the scene and the call to the lawyer, but I can't remember how the police ended up going to his home.

[Godhumor]

127. Correct on all points. He called his lawyer before the police

His lawyer arranged for him to turn himself in to an off-duty police officer at a Noco Station.

He also did send his wife to check the accident scene.

[July]

128. Thanks for the confirmation.

I find the immediate actions following the accident pretty chilling.

[librechik]

83. to the aristocracy, only their own miserable lives are worth anything.

We were well clear of that back in the 19th century. But they keep creeping back, more powerful every time.

Liberte Egalite Fraternite!

[Gregorian]

84. This is about the power of attorneys.

It keeps coming back to me over and over just how much of this country revolves around the decisions made by litigation. That sounds like the way things are supposed to work. But the other side of it is that it also has the opposite effect. Millions of dollars for a spilled hot coffee, and chump change for the guy who just got out of jail after 16 years of being jailed while innocent. Those aren't even the examples I want to make. What I mean is that there is a sentiment that prevents things from happening, due to the possible threat of litigation.

I'm not thinking clearly yet. I'm still trying to wake up. But certainly money buys justice. But I want to look one step further. Why and how does it do so. On one hand we're a nation of laws. But on the other hand, and I risk sounding like a right wing nut by saying this, lawyers have screwed the country. Sorry my brain isn't working. I know this has been on my mind for years. I just can't get the neurons to remember the key points. Argh.

[ManyShadesOf]

118. a bamboozled nation that pretends it has no class system ............

[BlancheSplanchnik]

155. well

I just woke up, and you read pretty damn clear to me---Well said!

I think both factors (probably others, too) are at play....class privilege and litigation wars....


Nation of laws....seems too abstract. We would benefit by including common sense and decency to the court, I think.

[Gregorian]

156. Thanks. Common sense was what I was thinking of too.

But it's absent from litigation. And rightly so. But still, it seems there ought to be a way to include it somehow. I mean, in engineering when one solves a problem, and has a number, we then do a sanity check. We run that number by rough numbers that are like boundaries of the problem. We ask if it makes sense.

You know, I was thinking of you when I was on a bike ride the other day. It was about this subject. How we have all of these laws that, for example, the EPA has established. Good laws. But yet they are only symptomatic of the real issue. We don't dare touch the real issue of reproducing another human. And just why not, I now ask. Is there something so sacred about reproducing? I think not. It's not some right. It is just another biological function. So we protect the fish, and yet are free to produce more mouths with which to further decrease the fish population. There is no common sense to it. But it's a futile discussion, with respect to population, since we're always going to be free to continue doing what we're doing. I think it's going to become pretty obvious soon. Especially when people see just what is going on in China. Their population is just starting to put their carbon footprint to the test. I don't even remember what this thread was about.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

158. hey Gregorian ...

did you know I answered the other day, but just before sending, got distracted with something?

arg!

now, I just woke up and have to caffeinate the coma so I can get to work!

I dimly remember talking about abstracted JusticewithacapitalJ and a more humanistic way of looking for solutions that considers the highest good of all concerned. I may have tossed in soemthing about Carole Gilligan.

Also, god!! I've said the same thing about reproduction being just another biological function, why does it have to be so romanticized.....geez, it's the same thing COCKROACHES do for godsake!!!!!!

I seem to piss people off, for some reason

[Gregorian]

159. Tell me more about Carole Gilligan

I can see she's an ethicist. She sounds very interesting.

Also, I just discovered this guy, and wanted to pass it on to people. He's stunning.

[Egalitarian Thug]

94. Let's not forget the doctor (surgeon IIRC) that was riding his bike and was run down by a

hedge fund manager near Aspen. They let the hedge fund asshole off because a conviction "would ruin his life".

Wake the fuck up, time is running out.

[Logical]

95. Well, the system was fair. He won. It sucks but no way to change it. He has a right to spend...

his money on a defense. Not sure how to fix this problem.

[Blue_Tires]

96. I don't get it...You're just finding out that

the justice system doesn't treat everyone equally (especially if they are from certain socio-economic demographics)??

[MrSlayer]

101. I would have no choice but to kill him.

If he killed my kid and walked like that I would have to kill this guy. I would not, could not, just accept it as the way it is. This is not justice.

[CBGLuthier]

105. sometimes you get 12 good men (and women) Looks like they got 12 ignorant dumbfucks.

[Catherine Vincent]

107. This is unbelievable. The judge and jury should be ashamed.

That poor family.

[Godhumor]

132. The boyfriend of the mother had to be removed from court

When the first not guilty came in, he started swearing at the jury while the verdicts were being read.

[athenasatanjesus]

108. If he's rich he must be a productive member of society.

Unlike most of us lazy dreck.

[McCamy Taylor]

109. Shows what a good lawyer can do. There is still the state medical board---he

could lose his license for drunk driving. And the family can file a civil suit.

[2ndAmForComputers]

110. I want something to happen.

But I can't say what.

[DontTreadOnMe]

149. I'll say it for you...

If this happened to my daughter... first I would sue this guy in Civil Court. Then after that case... I would hunt him down. I would not be able to control my vengeance.

[McCamy Taylor]

111. Also possible one of the jurors knows someone who is a patient of the doctor.

Someone should do a little background checking on the jurors, see if any family members or close friends see the doctor. Start by asking the jurors if one juror in particular seemed eager to acquit. Won't change the outcome, but it would be interesting to know.

[SemperEadem]

114. kneecap him in civil court

take away his livelihood... go after his license so he can't practice medicine. His behavior is reckless and indifferent.

[DFW]

122. Corsanti might well get a stiff neck from this

Namely from looking over his shoulder for a long time to come.

At least i hope so.

[ahimsa]

133. Here's the scene

Google Maps Street View

[Godhumor]

135. I drove past it today on my way home from work. The memorial is much larger now

Last edited Thu May 31, 2012, 10:01 PM - Edit history (1)

She worked at Bocce Pizza on Hopkins Rd. If you map it, you can see how far she traveled before being hit. Then add 200 feet to the point of impact over the guardrail to see how hard the drunk doctor hit her.

[ThoughtCriminal]

137. Surprised headline isn't...

"Job Creator's car damaged by skateboarder"

[bupkus]

134. Alix Rice's parents are much better people than I could ever hope to be

http://www.buffalonews.com/video/?bcpid=1365020919001&bckey=AQ~~,AAABNxei6vE~,5gWHFDA0mcYbGHi7dG-O5lgyVIrf2dL7&bclid=1442178846001&bctid=1665834543001

[bupkus]

136. Good God, read this account of Corasanti's actions and statements

How the hell did this guy ever go free?

http://www.buffalonews.com/topics/dr-james-corasanti-trial/article866668.ece

[MicaelS]

138. OJ Simpson got off on his first trial..

Only to get found at fault in the civil trial, and then finally ended up where he belonged all along, in prison.

Let's hope the same things happens to Corsanti.

[freshwest]

139. A case where the rich guy was not even charged with a felony:

The injuries of the man hit were terrible and the reasoning of the D. A. was particularly disturbing:

Justice Not Served For Cyclists: Colorado Not So Cyclist Friendly

Colorado DA drops felony hit-and-run charges against billion-dollar financier because of "serious job implications." This comes from the same DA who charged two women cyclists as FELONS for switching number plates at the Leadville 100 some years back...

Colorado District Attorney Mark Hurlbert has dropped felony charges against Martin Joel Erzinger, a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney wealth manager who controls $1 billion in investments, because financial rules would require Erzinger to notify his clients that he was charged with a felony, and this would have "serious job implications" for the financier. Erzinger is facing charges for allegedly rear-ending cyclist Dr. Steven Milo, and then leaving the scene of the crime. Milo, a liver transplant surgeon, has spinal and brain injuries, disfiguring scars, and will likely be in pain for the rest of his life.

Milo wrote in a letter to District Attorney Mark Hurlbert that the case “has always been about responsibility, not money. Mr. Erzinger struck me, fled and left me for dead on the highway,” Milo wrote. “Neither his financial prominence nor my financial situation should be factors in your prosecution of this case.”

(Erzinger took his car to be fixed because of damages but didn't report it. Milo is only alive because someone stopped and got help.)

http://www.declinemagazine.com/content.php?itemid=5546

Martin Erzinger, Morgan Stanley Wealth Manager, Won't Face Felony Charges For Hit-And-Run

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/martin-erzinger-morgan-stanley-hit-and-run-_n_780294.html

[HiPointDem]

140. a super-rich guy hit & runs a middle-of-the-road rich guy. wow. how in the hell do you not

even get charged for hit & run & ruining someone's life just because your f-ing clients might get upset?

please post this as an op, it's mind-boggling.

[The Doctor.]

141. When I was 16, I worked at the country club Corsanti was driving home from...

I was a shoe-shiner.

These were some of the most pompous, narcissistic, arrogant pricks of all time.They used to talk openly in the posh locker rooms about getting away with murder, doing drugs, sex parties, you name it.

These are people who live without morals, ethics, or much of a conscience.

With any luck, Corsanti will be run out of town.

[libodem]

152. OJ

Think about it.

[Hawkowl]

153. Corsanti should thank god

Fall down on his knees and thank whatever deity he believes in that that young woman wasn't one of my loved ones.

[KamaAina]

160. Three words: Wrongful Death Lawsuit

OJ bought his way out of his criminal case, but not the ensuing wrongful death suit.