The mom who potentially faced more jail time for jaywalking than the man who killed her 4-year-old son in a hit-and-run accident has been sentenced to community service and probation instead, MSN reports:
On July 12, [Raquel] Nelson was convicted of second-degree vehicular homicide, reckless conduct, and failure to use a crosswalk during an incident that occurred on the night of April 10, 2010. She and her three children had gotten off at a bus stop in Marietta, and were trying to cross a four-lane highway without using a crosswalk in order to reach their apartment.
Jerry Guy, a man who had two prior hit-and-run convictions, struck the family with his van as they were crossing, killing 4-year-old A.J. Nelson in the process. Guy served a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to a hit-and-run and was released on Oct. 29. He is currently serving five years of probation. Nelson could have been sentenced to up to 36 months in jail.
Source: MSN.
She's also been given the unusual option of a new trial. "I just don't see what putting her in prison is going to do," one of Nelson's neighbors told NBC News. That seems clear, but with a justice system that brought us the Casey Anthony verdict and could potentially land her behind bars for years, we're hoping this mom doesn't risk it.
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Read more at MSN.
In other news: 4 Questions With Maxine Waters.