From: Harvey Newstrom (newstrom@newstaffinc.com)
Date: Wed Jun 09 1999 - 13:53:18 MDT
Rob Harris Cen-IT <Rob.Harris@bournemouth.gov.uk> wrote:
> A guy was put away just recently for accidentally killing a
> burglar that entered his home at night. The homeowner hit the burglar out
> cold in a punch, and the burglar fell and hit his head.............
This sounds like an unfortunate accident. But what is the alternative?
Allow people to kill other people if they say, "I didn't mean to hit him
that hard?" Sure laws aren't perfect, but sometimes its because situations
like the one described above get fuzzy. It is not a clear case of
bleeding-heart liberals trying to protect the criminal, or ultra-violent
conservatives trying to claim the right to kill people.
Should the killer be exempt from punishment if the death was an accident?
Should the homeowner be allowed to kill people if they are breaking into
their home? Can we really tell the intent of the perpetrator or the intent
of the killer after the fact? Some cases like this really get fuzzy.
Sometimes, blaming liberals or conservatives isn't a clear call.
-- Harvey Newstrom <mailto://newstrom@newstaffinc.com> <http://newstaffinc.com> Author, Consultant, Engineer, Legal Hacker, Researcher, Scientist.
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