I'm not sure that we should be.
Let's say I'm a 10-year-old child. My father is killed by a drunk driver. The driver is charged and will go to trial. A year passes. Two years pass-no trial date yet. A third-year passes. Now I'm 13. A fourth-a fifth year. I'm 15 and the person responsible for the death of my father is finally going to trial. He is found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Bentley's law did not help me.
Why does the defendant have a year after release to begin paying? The child didn't have a year to prepare for his/her father's death.
WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. A checkbox with a check in it isn't GOOD ENOUGH. People charged with Intoxicated manslaughter need to go to trial within months NOT years of their crime. Bentley's Law could be amazing if it could actually happen.
Story by Jaime E. Galvan, KSDK staff, KSDK staff • Jun 12
Bentley's law, which is named after a drunken driving victim's surviving son, would require people convicted of intoxication manslaughter to pay restitution.
Payments would begin a year after the defendant is released from prison and continue until all of the victims' surviving children turned 18.