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As noted on LAist a few minutes after it was announced, George Russell Weller, 89, was today convicted for a 2003 incident wherein he drove his car through the Santa Monica Farmers Market, killing 10 people and injuring 63 others.
While his defense attorney tried to paint the crime as an "accident," jurors didn't swallow the pedal error defense. After nine days of deliberating, they found Weller guilty, guilty, guilty -- convicting him on 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
Weller, who has not been in court for much of the trial due to poor health, was again absent today for the reading of the verdict. He was 86 years old and driving a Buick three years ago when he caused misery on dozens of innocents and now he faces up to 18 years in prison. Attorneys on both sides of the case will return to court next Friday to schedule a sentencing hearing.
As I have said before, I find it impossible to believe that this was an accident, and I'm thrilled Weller was convicted. Weller has NEVER issued any sort of apology, either public or (as far as I know) private. In fact the jurors who were interviewed after the verdict was read said pretty much the same thing: that it was his "attitude" that made them feel that even he knew he was guilty.
He may be old and infirm, but George Russell Weller deserves to spend every remaining second of his life in prison.
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If you think that old man did this on purpose, you are truly deranged. He shouldn't have been driving, but neither should scores of oldsters in Santa Monica. You take your life in your hands any time you cross the street by the SanMo post office. It was a terrible, terrible accident and he should pay the price, but there is no way he went down Arizona Ave. thinking how many people he could take out.
You write: "it was his 'attitude' that made them feel that even he knew he was guilty." Dear God, nice to see the jury was considering the facts of the case. I'm so happy for Elina Shatkin that she is "thrilled" this man is behind bars and that he will "spend every remaining second of his life in prison." Me? This whole story just makes me sad. Putting a deranged old man isn't going to bring those poor people back.
Maybe one reason that the jurors felt that his attitude was one sign of his guilt was because 1)witnesses said that he didnt seem upset after the "accident" 2)witnesses said that he yelled at people saying "you saw me coming, why didnt you get out of the way." 3) his tone at the police department was calm and cold 4) he kept driving 240 feet, two full city blocks, never swerving to a wall, but plowing over people only to be stopped by a barricade
the jury deliberated for two weeks considering the facts while weller stayed at home.
putting an unrepentant old man behind bars isnt going to bring the dead back, but thats what we do when we find people guilty of heinous crimes: we throw them in jail. old man weller was found guilty and still isnt in jail. he has received far more special treatment than anyone. the victims said that they wanted to hear that he was sorry, and theyre still waiting. that quite possibly could be the attitude that swayed the jury.
I was an alternate juror on this case and I want to comment on Joe Fann's post. According to the charges and jury instructions, Mr. Weller did not have to deliberately commit this crime. I know the jurors who did deliberate took this case very seriously and considered all of the facts. Mr. Weller's attitude was brought in as evidence through a video taped police interview and through witness testimony. I agree with the verdict that was reached. We were not to consider possible punishment for this crime but the probability of Mr. Weller facing prison time is remote. He was responsible for killing 10 people and his conviction is just.
I would only wish that all such vehicular manslaughter cases be similarly reviewed as this high profile one. Every day hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists are run over in this country by people who think that getting behind the wheel of a car is a right and not a privelege.
if only mr. weller were driving a mini cooper instead of a buick...the death count might've been a little lower...
Elina:
Though I placed a similar comment in another LAist thread, I do think that some here may be intrigued by a link to the official NTSB reports on the LAFD News & Information blog.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
alex, so do you think that anyone who kills anyone else shouldn't be held responsible because it "won't bring the dead back"?
ridiculous. i'm glad the jury was able to look at the facts and look past his age. there is no reason why a person should not be held responsible for their actions because they're old. he should not have been behind the wheel of a car at all. think about all the people affected by this tragedy. it goes far, FAR beyond the 10 dead.