Comments on: Two Staten Island Pedestrians Killed in Four Days; One Driver Charged http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/03/02/two-staten-island-pedestrians-killed-in-four-days-one-driver-charged/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:37:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Cap'n Transit http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/03/02/two-staten-island-pedestrians-killed-in-four-days-one-driver-charged/comment-page-1/#comment-64003 Cap'n Transit Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:33:44 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5581#comment-64003 I hear it's tremendously difficult to make charges stick against the mafia too. I guess the DA's office should just give up. Thanks for passing that info on, Josh. I hear it's tremendously difficult to make charges stick against the mafia too. I guess the DA's office should just give up.

Thanks for passing that info on, Josh.

]]> By: Kaja Geis http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/03/02/two-staten-island-pedestrians-killed-in-four-days-one-driver-charged/comment-page-1/#comment-63982 Kaja Geis Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:14:18 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5581#comment-63982 Doesn't that mean that 'unsafe driving' (you mean criminally negligent homicide) is institutionally tolerated because making the charge stick is resource-inefficient? You've offered an explanation, but it's hardly exculpatory. This is their job. I don't get to not do things my clients pay me for because they're too hard. I work fifty-five hours a week. If this government isn't gonna do it, can I get a government that will? Doesn't that mean that 'unsafe driving' (you mean criminally negligent homicide) is institutionally tolerated because making the charge stick is resource-inefficient?

You've offered an explanation, but it's hardly exculpatory. This is their job.

I don't get to not do things my clients pay me for because they're too hard. I work fifty-five hours a week. If this government isn't gonna do it, can I get a government that will?

]]> By: Josh http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/03/02/two-staten-island-pedestrians-killed-in-four-days-one-driver-charged/comment-page-1/#comment-63942 Josh Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:08:13 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5581#comment-63942 Saturday night I had drinks with a friend who works at the Brooklyn DA's office. A discussion of other types of crimes evolved into one about the feasibility of bringing criminally negligent homicide charges in car-on-ped deaths where they're warranted (talking about the Chinatown van tragedy as an example). The impression I was left with is that it's a tremendously difficult charge to make stick, and that the various DA offices in NYC are all overworked and understaffed, and that they're thus often not brought out of a desire to use resources efficiently rather than out of any sort of institutional tolerance towards unsafe driving. Saturday night I had drinks with a friend who works at the Brooklyn DA's office. A discussion of other types of crimes evolved into one about the feasibility of bringing criminally negligent homicide charges in car-on-ped deaths where they're warranted (talking about the Chinatown van tragedy as an example). The impression I was left with is that it's a tremendously difficult charge to make stick, and that the various DA offices in NYC are all overworked and understaffed, and that they're thus often not brought out of a desire to use resources efficiently rather than out of any sort of institutional tolerance towards unsafe driving.

]]> By: Joseph S. DeAngelis http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/03/02/two-staten-island-pedestrians-killed-in-four-days-one-driver-charged/comment-page-1/#comment-63928 Joseph S. DeAngelis Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:29:16 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=5581#comment-63928 This sort of thing happens all the time on Staten Island. To think, at one time, Staten Island was a rail based region, with individual communities and legitimate town centers. The borough is a perfect case study for the failure of auto based planning. This sort of thing happens all the time on Staten Island. To think, at one time, Staten Island was a rail based region, with individual communities and legitimate town centers. The borough is a perfect case study for the failure of auto based planning.

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