swill453 wrote:I think that's a pretty average sentence for the offence in question. Looking at the sentencing guidelines, the minimum sentence is a "Medium level community order". What she got seems quite far above that.
The BBC article you linked to says "a community punishment or suspended jail sentence is often given".
Community service wasn't really an option in this case, unless that community service happened in the US, which rather negates the purpose of it.
I can see why you might think that a suspended prison sentence is more serious than a community service order. Although in this case both are rather meaningless. A friend of mine is a probation officer and he told me once that some offenders actually prefer a prison sentence to the usual alternative of probation and community service. The reason being that a period of probation is typically about three times as long as an equivalent custodial sentence, and that they just want to be done with the sentence as soon as possible.
In my view prison is not usually an appropriate punishment for being at fault in a road accident. Custodial sentences deter very deliberate acts like robbing a bank. But nobody sets out in the morning intending to accidentally kill someone with their vehicle. What really stinks in this case is of course that she legged it.
Finally bear in mind that any kind of criminal record can have a profound effect on a person in the United States in terms of prospects for employment, housing, holding public office etc., and that might be the real punishment here. And this guilty verdict will help in any future civil case.