Heatley Indicted

[Shmee]

ESPN.com Story

Despite public statements made by the parents of the victim, Atlanta Thrashers star Dany Heatley has been charged with vehicular homocide and 5 other criminal charges stemming from an incident last summer in which teammate Dan Snyder was killed and Heatley was badly injured, missing most of the season. It's strange hearing two important hockey stories in one day, both involving high profile players and court cases.

Any input?

[paynomind]

Its amazing that there is a potential for Heatley to serve a longer sentence than Danton.

One guys went to hire someone to kill his coach. The other got in a car accident, and killed his good friend.

Not the same.

[habsfannova]

Its amazing that there is a potential for Heatley to serve a longer sentence than Danton.

One guys went to hire someone to kill his coach. The other got in a car accident, and killed his good friend.

Not the same.

Of course they're not the same.

One actually resulted in a death by recklesness. The other didn't result in a death at all. Also, Heatley's driving could just as easily killed someone else on the road.

[slapshot]

Correction: Heatley caused a car accident due to reckless driving. He should serve at least a few years if convicted of manslaughter.

Both should do some time. I am not trying to diminish the severity of a murder conspiracy, but one person is a killer, the other is not. But why a more harsh sentence for someone who was unsuccesful in a death attempt rather than someone who actually did cause the death of another person?

I wouldn't feel this strongly against Heatley if it was entirely an accident, say do to wet roads or poor visibility conditions where he was driving at or below the legal speed limit safely. He chose to drive as fast as he did, with blatant disregard for the safety of himself and Daniel Snyder. Therefore, he should get what's coming to him.

[paynomind]

and my opinion is that what is coming to him is nothing.

Fully not guilty.

It was 100% an accident. The Snyder family does not want Dany to see jail time. Dany made a mistake and will have to live with the death of his good friendfor the rest of his life.

That is enough punishment for me.

[habsfannova]

So, he drives over 50 KM/H over the limit, with total disregard for other people on the road, and it's not his fault, but a simple "accident"?

[paynomind]

Well, I dont htink it was 'total disregard for other people on the road' He wasnt driving up the middle, trying to run folks off. It was a relatively quiet, straight piece of road (I've driven it several times before and since the accident) later in the evening, in a car designed to go 200MpH, and take curves at incredibly high speeds. I think 80 in a Ferrari is far less wreckless than 80 in a Taurus.

And i'm also not saying it isn't his 'fault.' Yes it is. But His intention was not to kill. Intention means something.

[Brass]

The only time ESPN will cover hockey is when scandal strikes....

Hopefully my letter to ESPN about hockey and the dumbass Stephen A. Smith will actually do something to them....

[habsfannova]

Well, I dont htink it was 'total disregard for other people on the road' He wasnt driving up the middle, trying to run folks off. It was a relatively quiet, straight piece of road (I've driven it several times before and since the accident) later in the evening, in a car designed to go 200MpH, and take curves at incredibly high speeds. I think 80 in a Ferrari is far less wreckless than 80 in a Taurus.

And i'm also not saying it isn't his 'fault.' Yes it is. But His intention was not to kill. Intention means something.

It doesn't matter if it's Jacques Villenuve in his F1 car in the desert. The speed limit is posted, and can not be exceeded even if you are a professional in a high control car. He put others at risk unneccesarily.

And hey, it's nothing against Heatley. I hear he's a standup guy, and that he's distraught over all of this. I'd say the same thing if Dan Marino or Guy Carbonneau was driving the car. The law is the law.

[Shmee]

I think 80 in a Ferrari is far less wreckless than 80 in a Taurus.

And i'm also not saying it isn't his 'fault.' Yes it is. But His intention was not to kill. Intention means something.

Just a bit of info. According to a public statement made by the area's police department that has decided to charge Heatley, those real life CSI guys determined that Dany was driving anywhere between 60 and 90 miles per hour.

And yeah, it is Heatley's fault. He shouldn't have been driving that fast, on that road, at that time. It was a bad idea. But why is an accident (even if someone can be blamed for it) treated the same way as a plot to murder? Doesn't make sense to me.

As for the thought that Heatley just might end up serving more time than Danton, it certainly is a possibility. However, none of the charges that Heatley is facing have minimum jail sentences. He could, even if convicted on all charges, only serve a probational sentence.

[KCScout76]

I am not a judge, that should be up to the trial jury.

However, If I were a judge, I would throw the book at Heatley if he was found guilty. I don't want to get into the agruement about "being in the public's eye" or he's a "sports figure", the man committed a crime so he should do time.

It's would be sad to see him get off w/o any punishment. He can brush up on his game with some 'soap hockey' in the showers with the other inmates.

[Magus]

if found guilty, he should serve jail time.

i like him as a player, but that doesn't mean he is above the law. he should serve jail time like the rest of the offenders found guilty have too.

[Saintsfan]

I have always thought that anyone driving a vehicle over the alcohol limit should be charged at least with manslaughter, and the penalty should be harsh. Sure it wasa tragedy but it was an avoidable death.

[paynomind]

I agree with you saintsfan.. anyone OVER the alcohol limit should be punished. However, what Heatley's breath and blood tests showed was the equivalent to one beer, 45 minutes ago. Alcohol simple was NOT a factor in this accident.

Guys, I realize that by the letter of the law, the driver of a car that crashes and results in the death of a passenger CAN be tried and convicted of manslaughter.

What I am saying is that in this case, whether the driver is Heatley, George Bush, The lady who is always at your local Waffle House, a 17 year old boy, of myself... that with the facts of the case as I understand them, I don?t think ANYONE should serve jail time over this accident. Its not a case of thinking Heatley is above the law, it is the fact that it was an accident by someone who was not drunk, who was not weaving through traffic, who was not trying to top out his v12 in traffic. It was an accident, and the driver, famous hockey player or not, has paid a dear enough price.

Who does it benefit? Who does it make feel better? Snyder's parents love Heatley, and know he didn?t do anything on purpose, and that he loved their son. They do not want to see Heatley serve jail time. In fact, Snyder's dad and brother rode with Dany driving to a Thrashers game late in the season. They rode with him. Just like their son and brother did that night. This exhibits the maximum level of trust, believe, and love.

The speed limit on that road is 45. It is relatively straight, and empty at that time of day. In my GMC Sierra Z71, I drove it at 60, and it wasn?t too fast. 14 over the limit in Georgia tends to not even get you pulled over. The State Troopers announced a few years back that they wouldn't ticket for 14 or less over the limit. Heatley was going between 60 and 90. If in my truck I can drive just fine at 60, what on earth makes you think a $250,000 Ferrari couldn't go 80? He was NOT being reckless. He was NOT being unsafe.

And most of all, you do NOT know what was going on inside that car. Snyder could have been egging him on, asking him to show him what the car would do. Snyder wasn't an incredibly highly paid player, and didn?t own a Ferrari. He might have instigated the whole thing. And, where is the attention to the fact that Snyder's seatbelt was unbuckled? Isn't part of his death his fault then? He was ejected from the car. That HAD to contribute?

The wishes of the Snyder family are good enough for me. They don?t want him in jail, neither do I.

No one else?s opinion matters as far as I'm concerned. Ask the Snyder family. Then go with that. The Prosecutor should be ashamed.

[Geoff]

Agreed. To me, having to live with knowing that your best friend died in an accident and you were driving would be worse than prison because that stays with you forever.

[jkrdevil]

I think Heatly should get jail time, however not more than Danton. You have to look at the intentions. Daton intended to get his agent killed, but it fell through because the hitman went to the cops. Heatly didn't intend to kill Snyder it was an accident. He ans Snydor were pretty much acting the way a lot of guys their age act or think about driving fast. Was it reckless, yes. Does he deserve sometype of punishment Yes. But not more than someone who tried to kill someone.

[zer0dotcom]

looking at both cases, the difference in my view is the issue of INTENT.

Mike Danton (Jefferson when I saw him play in the OHL, and I wasn't a fan of his style) intended to kill someone, with conspirators

Dany Heatley did not intend to kill Dan Snyder, or to the best of our knowledge, cerash his car.

IMO, Danoton's crime is far worse, but thats not to say what happened in the 2 Dan's case isn't.

I don't think that Heatley should get off without anything. We don't always intend for our actions to led to the things they do, but when they do, we must face the consequences. Dany's led to the death of someone, intentional or not. Therefore, he should be punished, as anyother person would, in any country.

Danton had intended to end the life of someone. that in itself is unexcusable. He should be punished for that, and so should those who conspired with him.

Life is the most precious thing that any of us has, and for someone to conspire to take it away can't be excused.

[slapshot]

The speed limit on that road is 45. It is relatively straight, and empty at that time of day. In my GMC Sierra Z71, I drove it at 60, and it wasn?t too fast. 14 over the limit in Georgia tends to not even get you pulled over. The State Troopers announced a few years back that they wouldn't ticket for 14 or less over the limit. Heatley was going between 60 and 90. If in my truck I can drive just fine at 60, what on earth makes you think a $250,000 Ferrari couldn't go 80? He was NOT being reckless. He was NOT being unsafe.

How is driving anywhere between 15 and 45 mph over the speed limit NOT considered being reckless and unsafe? That's why the speed limit signs are out there in the first place. If it were safe to be driving down that street at 60, the speed limit would be 60. Just because the car cost $250,000 and can reach speeds that high doesn't mean the car should be going that fast down a street n a residential area. If he wants to drive that speed he can go find a race track or join the celebrity pro-am racing circuit.

And if the State Troopers look a blind eye to those traveling that much over the speed limit then they are not doing their jobs.

[Avenger]

I agree that Danton's crime was worse, but whether or not Heatly intended to kill anyone or not, he did as a direct results of his actions. It would be different if he was driving 5 or 10 miles an hour over the speed limit, but the guy was going between 60 and 90 in a residential area. That's dangerous, reckless, and stupid, and he should be penalized for it, if for no other reason than to make an example of him.

I find it interesting that when a football player gets in trouble for doing illegal drugs, everyone wants to throw the book at him, when in fact, his actions are only causing direct harm to himself, where Heatley's actions killed another person, and half of us are begging for him not to be penalized. Doesn't make much sense to me.