AP: Girl in fatal crash; mother convicted

[question everything]

Girl in fatal crash; mother convicted

SANTA ROSA – A woman whose teenage daughter killed two people in a car crash was convicted Friday of two misdemeanors related to her decision to allow the girl to get behind the wheel.

Deborah Ann Rodgers, 53, pleaded no contest to charges of contempt of a court order and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as part of a plea agreement.

Kelly O'Connor, then 16, was driving her mother's car on Nov. 4 when she lost control and crashed, killing Lorelei Leonhardt, 17, and Scott O'Neal, 19. Kelly's license had been suspended nine days earlier for a speeding violation.

Associated Press

From http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051002/news_1n2region.html

[Nikki Stone 1]

1. In general, I don't like the idea of parents paying for their kid's crime

But if the parent permits illegal behavior (such as driving without a license) then the parent does bear some responsibility.

All the same, I really don't like this trend.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. She's a minor

I do hold with the parents' being held culpable for the actions of their kids when they've not yet reached their majority. Especially - as in this case - when the parent's actions were egregious.

I mean, with two kids dead, something has to be done, and the kid's hardly gonna be dealt with in any kind of meaningful manner, given her age.

Of course, there'll be the civil case, and the mother's insurance company will cough up a big settlement. They'll never get insurance again - and, in my world, I'd make sure neither of them were ever allowed to drive again, but that's not likely.

It's just such a hideous and outrageous case.

[Benhurst]

5. If I'm not mistaken, if any of us knowingly allowed a person

whose license had been suspended to drive our car, we would be held liable. Any lawyers out there?

[AX10]

2. This is WRONG and STUPID!

The girl should go to jail. She was old enough to get a drivers license and now she, and ONLY she must take full responsibility for her actions, PERIOD.

[seabeyond]

4. agree n/t

[Robb]

6. She went into wardship.

(Longer version of story here)

The state dropped the charge against the mother of letting an unlicensed driver operate her car.

They convicted mom on contempt of court and contributing to the deliquency, both of which mom did.

If a person has a court-ordered no-drinking order, a bartender who knowingly serves them alcohol gets the contempt charge. If a minor has no license and someone knowingly gives them the keys, there's the other charge. That the woman was the mother here -- or that people were killed -- is of no real relevance and there were no charges relating to that offered.

It appears the 16 year-old is facing plenty of repercussions.

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. Here's the original story

from the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. It elaborates on a couple of points that aren't in the edited AP version.

Rodgers, 53, allowed her daughter, who was then 16, to drive her Ford Mustang on Nov. 4, just nine days after another judge prohibited O'Connor from driving for going 95 mph on Highway 101.

That night, O'Connor picked up three friends and sped down Sonoma Avenue, where she lost control of the car, which spun off the roadway and struck two trees and a streetlight.

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051001/NEWS/510010342/1033/NEWS01