Former Deputy Sentenced For Careless Driving
SHAKOPEE, Minn. (AP) ―
A former Dakota County sheriff's deputy is sentenced to 40 hours of community service for careless driving that killed a motorcyclist.

In August, Joshua Williams took a left-hand turn from the right-turn lane of Minnesota Highway 3 and hit 58-year-old Bill Wallace of Farmington.

Williams joined the sheriff's department in February 2005 and was in the final phase of his field training at the time of the crash in Empire Township.

Williams apologized to Wallace's family when he was sentenced on Tuesday, saying, "I cannot tell you how sorry I am for what happened."

A Scott County District judge also sentenced Williams to pay a $380 fine. He will spend his community service talking to new drivers and law enforcement recruits.

Williams driver's license is also suspended for a year.

The Hennepin County attorney's office handled the case because Dakota County prosecutors had a conflict of interest.

Misdemeanor manslaughter, again, apparently.

I have been biting my tongue on this one.

I am an avid motorcyclist. I have feelings on this issue that are. . . . strong.

Looking at what little information is publically available on this case, the accident reconstruction and the admissions of the former deputy simply don't reconcile with the sentencing in my opinion - and you can probably guess where I align on some of these LEO bashings. I think the fact that this young man has been essentially reduced to a bailiff speaks volumes about how his decision-making has been judged internally. I'll be curious to see what IA offers up following their investigation. Seems pretty cut & dried from my vantage point; left turn from the outside of two lanes without being on the whistle? C'mon!

Tragic? Yes! Avoidable? Unequivocally and absolutely yes!

What in the hell is that!!! A $380 fine for a fatal mistake? To make it look like he's being punished?

The loss of his driver's license for one year is the worse thing that happened to him (unless he gets it reinstated so he can work....)

Misdemeanor manslaughter. It may have, at some point, have happened when the perp isn't an LEO, but I've never heard of it.

Ditto.

I heard about this on the radio this morning and, while I'm not a biker, I'm pissed about the outcome. It's pretty clear that a life was lost due to his negligence.

I'm not a biker, but I've got pretty strong feelings about idiots running over people through any kind of carelessness or arrogance.

Actually, it does. The #$@%^&* that killed my father in a similar motorcycle-SUV accident in 2004 got -wait for it- "failure to yield". 30 days in the workhouse and 3 years probation.

I'm so sorry.

It is that I have heard many of these stories, that I have strong feelings. I am so sorry to have heard another one. I am sorry for your loss Jeremiah.

What ever happened to vehicular homicide , or is that only applicable to civilians? Being a motorcyclists myself it is people like these that make our roadways dangerous and scary to be on when enjoying the two-wheel motor sport.

A few years ago when I was driving in St. Louis Park north on Louisiana Ave. I was in my car. It was around sunset, and dark enough to have the headlights on. The next thing I knew a police car pulled out in front of me and I nearly hit the driver side of the squad car. No lights on, headlights or emergency lights, nothing.

I would hate to think of what trouble I would have been in if I did hit him. Probably something to the effect of assault of a police officer, wreckless driver, or something other BS.

Thanks, though that wasn't the point of the story. The point was/is that the "justice" system hereabouts is all kinds of screwed up, for LEOs and non-LEOs alike. (Though in some cases, *cough* Landen Beard *cough*, I think certain folks seem more equal than others before the law.)

I haven't been riding any of my bikes for a while, due to the lack of basic driving skills I see daily, combined with the lack of any sort of penalties for doing wrong. That said, I just dug my moped (approaching 100 MPG, anyone?) out of the garage... ...wish me luck!

ETA: Just to flesh out the former story, I should add that the young man in question already had so many moving violations on his record as to require that his license be revoked upon conviction for the offense leading to the accident. His lawyer actually tried to use that at trial to get him off, believe it or not- it would be hard for him to get to work without his driver's license...

That, combined with a looming maternity leave/one less income for baby #3 is making me consider selling my bike.