Just A Thought - Would VP Cheney Face Charges If....

[GotZoom]

just for conversation sake....Mr. Whittington should end up passing away as a result of the accident?

The authorities have cleared Cheney of any wrong doing but...wouldn't that change if, God forbid, Mr. Whittington ended up dying?

-------

The fellow hunter who was shot and wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney has suffered a "minor heart attack" after a piece of birdshot migrated to his heart, a hospital spokesman said Tuesday.

Harry Whittington, 78, is in stable condition in intensive care and will remain hospitalized for up to seven days, hospital officials said.

"Some of the birdshot appears to have moved and lodged into part of his heart ... in what we would say is a minor heart attack," said Peter Banko, administrator at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/14/cheney/index.html

 

[dmp]

I'd bet dollars to donuts the average schmoe would face charges of some sort.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

just for conversation sake....Mr. Whittington should end up passing away as a result of the accident?

The authorities have cleared Cheney of any wrong doing but...wouldn't that change if, God forbid, Mr. Whittington ended up dying?

-------

The fellow hunter who was shot and wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney has suffered a "minor heart attack" after a piece of birdshot migrated to his heart, a hospital spokesman said Tuesday.

Harry Whittington, 78, is in stable condition in intensive care and will remain hospitalized for up to seven days, hospital officials said.

"Some of the birdshot appears to have moved and lodged into part of his heart ... in what we would say is a minor heart attack," said Peter Banko, administrator at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/14/cheney/index.html

Under Texas law, there are four things it would fall under, to my knowledge. Murder, Capital Murder, Manslaughter, and Criminally negligent homicide.

Murder and Capital Murder are pretty self explanatory, and obviously don't apply. Manslaughter is defined as recklessly causing the death of a person, and is a felony of the second degree. Criminally negligent homicide is a state jail felony, and is defined as causing the death of an individual by criminal negligence.

Manslaughter would probably be the one that it would come to, and since they have already declared it an accident and nothing more, I doubt it would go anywhere.

I think what comes into question now is how the doctors treated it. Some are saying it would be more harmful to remove the birdshot, others are saying that was a mistake. With recent developments, it does make me wonder how wise it was not to try and remove it.

The average shmoe would probably have to go through a lot more with the police, but the average schmoe also wouldn't have a team of Secret Service agents as witnesses.

 

[no1tovote4]

If he were in danger of being charged for criminally negligent homicide he would be up right now for criminally negligent endangerment. That he faces no charges at this time would pretty much negate him being up on later charges in the same incident.

 

[manu1959]

clinton stuck a cigar in a woman's hooch...that violates dc sodomey laws...he got off....in more ways than one

 

[007]

Let's put it this way, if you or I shot someone and they died, even if it was an accident, I'd double down that we'd be on the carpet for it. But, Chenney is the V.P., and there'll be another set of rules for him and him alone.

Sucks, but that's the way it is.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Let's put it this way, if you or I shot someone and they died, even if it was an accident, I'd double down that we'd be on the carpet for it. But, Chenney is the V.P., and there'll be another set of rules for him and him alone.

Sucks, but that's the way it is.

That's probably true, but at the same time the fact that Cheney is who he is answers a lot of the questions the police might have. If you and I went hunting and one of us shot the other by accident, they don't know us from Adam. They would have to find out who we were, how we knew wach other, what the history was between us, etc.

Now, if it were Nancy Pelosi that went hunting with Cheney...

 

[Yurt]

I think in hunting accidents, where there is no negligence, or wrongdoing by the shooter, there might not be charges at all if the person died. I am not sure it would be manslaughter, because the hunter assumed the risk of engaging in a deadly sport. It is kind of like playing football and suing someone if they break your arm. If that person did not act outside the bounds of normal football play, they will not be liable.

It could be the same thing with hunting, ie, if cheney was found to not have committed any negligent action, because it seems this hunter did not announce himself after he had left the group so cheney did not know he was there, then cheney might not be liable under any criminal laws at all. He may however, be liable under civil laws, because all you need is a preponderance of the evidence.

IMHO

 

[William Joyce]

He may however, be liable under civil laws, because all you need is a preponderance of the evidence.

Right. On the one hand, shooting a lawyer is one sure way to buy yourself a lawsuit. On the other hand, at least George and Dick have been on the right side of the lawsuit abuse issue.

What would be HILARIOUS is if Pretty Boy Edwards accidentally shot a hunting trip companion and got NAILED with a multi-million-dollar lawsuit and drained of his ill-gotten gains. Now that would be justice.

 

[Nuc]

Let's put it this way, if you or I shot someone and they died, even if it was an accident, I'd double down that we'd be on the carpet for it. But, Chenney is the V.P., and there'll be another set of rules for him and him alone.

Sucks, but that's the way it is.

I thought you were the one who was insisting it was "just an accident". My how we change our tune depending on the audience.

Regardless of the criminality of this matter, the intelligence of his behavior must be questioned. Bush Sr. for example had a lust to go skydiving, but also the common sense not to do it while VP or POTUS.

If Cheney wants to engage in dangerous activities for fun (such as playing with guns) maybe he should do it after he's non-essential personnel.

 

[trobinett]

My take on this whole stupid afair?

If it were you, or me, no big deal, a hunting accident, pure, and simple.

The VP, of the Bush administration, let`s try to make WWIII out of it.

Sad actually. :spank3:

 

[Emmett]

I can't seem to find a single quote of Ted's position on this issue! Imagine that race fans!