Discussion Topic: On Hunting Accidents and Jail Time
In the last couple of years, two Vermont hunters received jail time–each a little less than a year–after fatally shooting...
In the last couple of years, two Vermont hunters received jail time–each a little less than a year–after fatally shooting persons they mistook for game. This week, two men were convicted of similar shootings in Vermont, but received lighter sentences.
From WCAX News:
_Kevin Kadamus of Wheelock received a deferred sentence for killing his teenage son. Kadamus will serve no jail time and will get his record erased in 3 years.
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_John Boppel of Ashland, Pa., was sentenced to 18 weeks in jail after pleading guilty to wounding a man he mistook for a bear while hunting in Granby, Vt. . . .
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“I think what it resulted in is a recognition from the state that not every mistake is a crime. . .,” explained David Sleigh, the lawyer for Kevin Kadamus.
Do you think the Vermont courts are moving in the right direction on this issue? Should incidents in which a hunter fails to correctly identify his target be crimes? And if so, what’s a fair punishment?
