Raquel Nelson was sentenced on Tuesday.
It was not, as my friend Kate put it, a nice bouquet and a profuse apology, but it was pretty good: a year’s probation and $2000 in fines, suspended, plus 40 hours of community service, 20 of which are to be spent on child safety.
Or. Or she can have a new trial.
Her choice. Completely up to her.
A new trial means she could completely clear her name. Even misdemeanor vehicular homicide is murder’s ugly cousin.
She has 30 days to decide, and while her attorney says she’s going ahead with it, I’m not so sure. On the Today Show yesterday, she said that part of her just wants to put it behind her.
I wouldn’t blame her a bit. Of course, whatever she does, I will stand behind her, and I will be contributing to her legal defense fund, which you can do, too, at any Chase Bank branch.
She has been incredibly gracious and dignified throughout this whole mess, much more so than most people would have been able to be.
The prosecutor stated that her office never intended that she should go to jail, which begs the question then why did you prosecute? It seems like an egregious waste of taxpayer money and an old-fashioned shaming for somebody who’s already hurt enough to me.
That’s all I have to say about it, aside from please keep signing those petitions requesting that Governor Deal overturn her conviction, and if you can, please donate to the legal defense fund, because she needs all the help she can get. If I find out one way or the other what she’s going to do, I will certainly post it.
Just like a Slattery 
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’ve been signing and writing and whatnot.
Thank you!
PS, ivymiranda is me, Suzanne E.
Considering how badly she was misused the first time around I can completely understand her taking her freedom and heading on out.
I am not (very) ashamed to say that my first thought was that I would be waving at them all from a distance as soon as they said I was free to go.
No kidding. I think the part about child safety has already sunk in, though; I would do that part first to get it the hell over with. I have also filled out a survey for my little town about needing more crosswalks and bike lanes.
The only thing I can think is that the prosecutor doesn’t have kids. Maybe she was never a kid herself. If she had kids, she would know how easy accidents happen . My very FIRST memory is of waiting until my mother’s back was turned.
Either that or they haven’t learned yet how quickly things get away from you. You don’t put a match to something if you don’t want it to burn.