Chappaquidick

[DownWithTheLeft]

Probably spelt wrong, too lazy to look at up, but whatever, do you think Ted Kennedy should have been charged with murder?  (anticipated response, OMG Laura Bush killed that guy once!!)

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Probably spelt wrong, too lazy to look at up, but whatever, do you think Ted Kennedy should have been charged with murder?  (anticipated response, OMG Laura Bush killed that guy once!!)

Murder, no.  As DA, I'd have charged him with manslaughter.

[Blerpiez]

How could this be murder?  Is there any reason to believe that Sen. Kennedy did not just accidentaly drive off a bridge?  Having a fatal car accident isn't murder (even if you're drunk), and failing to rescue a drowning person is also not murder.

[WalterMitty]

ive read that kennedy most likely wasnt legally drunk at the time of the accident.  massachusetts at that time had a very high blood alcohol legal limit...something like 0.15

[Verily]

ive read that kennedy most likely wasnt legally drunk at the time of the accident.  massachusetts at that time had a very high blood alcohol legal limit...something like 0.15

That still doesn't make it murder.  He would have to have intentionally driven off the bridge and tied bricks to her feet for it to be murder.

[WalterMitty]

ive read that kennedy most likely wasnt legally drunk at the time of the accident.  massachusetts at that time had a very high blood alcohol legal limit...something like 0.15

That still doesn't make it murder.  He would have to have intentionally driven off the bridge and tied bricks to her feet for it to be murder.

um where did i claim it was murder?

[Verily]

ive read that kennedy most likely wasnt legally drunk at the time of the accident.  massachusetts at that time had a very high blood alcohol legal limit...something like 0.15

That still doesn't make it murder.  He would have to have intentionally driven off the bridge and tied bricks to her feet for it to be murder.

um where did i claim it was murder?

The contradiction suggested you were agreeing with DWDL. I guess not

[SPC]

Manslaughter, yes. Murder is a bigger stretch.

[PBrunsel]

Senator Kennedy's greatest fault that July 1969 night was not calling the police after the car fell into the water. Had he called immediatley after he got out of the car and made it to a phone, Mary Jo Kopechne may have been saved. It is a very slight chance, but as a diver at the scene commented, "The chance still remained."

[CARLHAYDEN]

Senator Kennedy's greatest fault that July 1969 night was not calling the police after the car fell into the water. Had he called immediatley after he got out of the car and made it to a phone, Mary Jo Kopechne may have been saved. It is a very slight chance, but as a diver at the scene commented, "The chance still remained."

For the average person, the incident would have resulted in a sentence for vehicular manslaughter.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

[Gabu]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

Murder is intentionally causing someone to die, not stopping a death already in motion.

[Verily]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

There are two arguments against this.

1) There's no evidence that it would have been possible for him to save her life in the first place.
2) That's not murder anyway. You have no legal obligation to save anyone who is about to die even if doing so would be simple and incur no harm upon yourself.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

There are two arguments against this.

1) There's no evidence that it would have been possible for him to save her life in the first place.
2) That's not murder anyway. You have no legal obligation to save anyone who is about to die even if doing so would be simple and incur no harm upon yourself.

It's a stretch but according to the law, the case could certainly be made.  If he did not recklessly drink, drive off the road, and ignore the injuries he had caused, Mary Jo would be probably be alive.  Therefore, it is depraved indifference murder

[Gabu]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

There are two arguments against this.

1) There's no evidence that it would have been possible for him to save her life in the first place.
2) That's not murder anyway. You have no legal obligation to save anyone who is about to die even if doing so would be simple and incur no harm upon yourself.

It's a stretch but according to the law, the case could certainly be made.  If he did not recklessly drink, drive off the road, and ignore the injuries he had caused, Mary Jo would be probably be alive.  Therefore, it is depraved indifference murder

The difference between murder and manslaughter is intention.  There is no evidence Kennedy intended to kill anyone.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

There are two arguments against this.

1) There's no evidence that it would have been possible for him to save her life in the first place.
2) That's not murder anyway. You have no legal obligation to save anyone who is about to die even if doing so would be simple and incur no harm upon yourself.

It's a stretch but according to the law, the case could certainly be made.  If he did not recklessly drink, drive off the road, and ignore the injuries he had caused, Mary Jo would be probably be alive.  Therefore, it is depraved indifference murder

The difference between murder and manslaughter is intention.  There is no evidence Kennedy intended to kill anyone.

Does not stop the prosecutor from trying to make that case as I would have.  His actions show he wanted her to die.

[Sensei]

I think he should have been charged with Vehicular Manslaughter.

[Lincoln Republican]

Spelled Chappaquiddick

Murder, there is not evidence to support this.

Manslaughter, most certainly.

The fact Kennedy made sure to save himself and did not report the incident to authorities for 24 hours is very suspicious.  What was he hiding and what was he afraid to let anyone know?

I believe there is a distinct possibility that Mary Jo Kopechne may have been pregnant with Kennedy's child, and he wanted this covered up, fearing it would destroy his political career.  This was the reason he drove off the bridge with her in the car, and saved himself, and made it look like an accident.

There was never any autopsy performed on the body, which would have answered many questions.

Did the Kennedy money hush up the Kopechne family?  Certainly.

Did he care more about his own political career than about the life of this young lady?  Absolutely.   

[opebo]

I can't believe people are still obsessing over this.

[Ebowed]

I believe there is a distinct possibility that Mary Jo Kopechne may have been pregnant with Kennedy's child, and he wanted this covered up, fearing it would destroy his political career.  This was the reason he drove off the bridge with her in the car, and saved himself, and made it look like an accident.

Kennedy was pro-life before 1972.

[Lincoln Republican]

I can't believe people are still obsessing over this.

Because Ted Kennedy is scum and has never been brought to justice, hiding behind his facade of "I am working to alleviate the plight of the downtrodden" while all the while thinking "I'm a Kennedy, and I can therefore get away with murder, you can't."

[Ebowed]

"I'm a Kennedy, and I can therefore get away with murder, you can't."

Do you routinely accuse those who commit vehicular manslaughter of being murderers?

[Verily]

I am claiming murder on the claim of depraved indifference, if he would have gotten her help she would have lived.

There are two arguments against this.

1) There's no evidence that it would have been possible for him to save her life in the first place.
2) That's not murder anyway. You have no legal obligation to save anyone who is about to die even if doing so would be simple and incur no harm upon yourself.

It's a stretch but according to the law, the case could certainly be made.  If he did not recklessly drink, drive off the road, and ignore the injuries he had caused, Mary Jo would be probably be alive.  Therefore, it is depraved indifference murder

The difference between murder and manslaughter is intention.  There is no evidence Kennedy intended to kill anyone.

Does not stop the prosecutor from trying to make that case as I would have.  His actions show he wanted her to die.

ROFL. You try to make that case before a judge, and he'll laugh you out of court.

[CARLHAYDEN]

I can't believe people are still obsessing over this.

Because Ted Kennedy is scum and has never been brought to justice, hiding behind his facade of "I am working to alleviate the plight of the downtrodden" while all the while thinking "I'm a Kennedy, and I can therefore get away with murder, you can't."

Needless to say, I am no fan of Teddy Kennedy, and agree that he is scum ,and that he got away with a lot of things in his life that others would not have gotten away with.

However, I doubt that he had the mens rea for murder (he was probably drunk at the time).

[Lincoln Republican]

"I'm a Kennedy, and I can therefore get away with murder, you can't."

Do you routinely accuse those who commit vehicular manslaughter of being murderers?

Check my posting further up on this page, wherein I state there is no evidence to support murder but that I do believe he is guilty of manslaughter. 

The term "getting away with murder" is an expression often used to mean that some can get away with more than others, often because of their connections, money, or influence.  This does not literally mean that they have committed murder, rather, that they have gotten away with something that most others could not get away with.

So, no, I do not routinely, or ever, accuse people of committing murder when they have not done so.