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Judge Unwilling to Imprison Aloof Farmers Market Killer George Weller Despite Admitting that he Deserves Jail
The old man hit a Mercedes, steered around it, headed through the Santa Monica Farmer's Market killing ten innocent people, injuring 63, and plowed his way to probation and no jail time.
George Weller didn't go to court to defend himself, he didn't go to court to hear his judgment, and today he didn't go to his sentencing to hear that the judge let him off the hook.
Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson today somehow said that he totally agreed with the jury and then called Weller's actions callous and showed "an enormous indifference to human life," and yet he's just as free to enjoy this beautiful weather today as anyone else in Los Angeles.
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Santa Monica has just declared that if you're old and white you can unmercifully kill nearly a dozen people, including children, and get away with murder.
The judge acknowledged that the senior citizen never admitted responsibility, and in a bizarre and surprising twist, the court refused to punish the old man and hold him accountable because "it wouldn't do anyone any good."
"Today, Mr. Weller stands convicted of 10 serious felonies and he is asking for leniency in sentencing," Johnson said. "Yet, he has never once expressed in court any remorse for his actions. "I will never understand his stubborn and bullheaded refusal to accept responsibility to put this matter to rest for everyone, including himself," Johnson said.
"George Weller clearly deserves a prison sentence. The devastation that he has caused and the indifference that he has displayed support no other conclusion," the judge said.
"The fact that he deserves prison doesn't mean he should get it," the jurist noted. "I believe the courts need to be practical as well as principled and I don't see any purpose in sending Mr. Weller to jail or prison. It wouldn't do anybody any good." - LA Times
Oh shit, LAist isn't white.
That's OK. We're sure that if George Russell Weller was African-American, or Hispanic, or Middle Eastern, this sentencing would be exactly the same.
AP photo by Ric Francis
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We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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