Seattlest: Teen Hunter to Be Charged with Manslaughter

bonitajustice

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:45:06 -0800

I don't know about "a quick and dirty search of the Internets", but I took a quick look at the law in Washington defining Man 1 (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.32.060). Man 1 includes recklessly causing the death of another. Recklessness is generally defined as acting with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property... like firing a gun in a popular hiking area. It sounds like the right charge.

ruffhauser

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:16:08 -0800

I think it's gross to use the death of someone to advance a political agenda. You should be ashamed of yourself.

MvB

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:33:55 -0800

@zagreusmd: I would *so* line up to see "Highlander 2: The Mistakening"!

herbisara

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:10:52 -0800

I still don't understand how in the f*ck it's acceptable to hunt in a popular hiking area. Shouldn't the areas for these activities be kept far, far away from one another?

zagreusmd

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:01:52 -0800

Interesting that the charge is manslaughter in the first degree. According to a quick and dirty search of the Internets, manslaughter is killing without malice (which would certainly appear to be the case here), and manslaughter in the first degree is the aforementioned killing in the process of committing an unlawful act. If the act were lawful, then it would be manslaughter in the second degree. So the question: what was the unlawful act, given that the kid was licensed to hunt bear? I wonder if there's some suspicion that he was taking potshots at the woman for kicks, but didn't mean to actually hit her. That would explain how he mistook a woman in a blue poncho for a bear: he didn't.

zagreusmd

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:54:32 -0800

"Mistakening?" Good to see your crack editorial staff is on the job! Though "Highlander 2: The Mistakening" would have been a much better title.

jessejb

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:14:29 -0800

Wow. Thats two lives that are are forever screwed.