[Megamel29]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...ref=weird-news

An Oklahoma teen convicted of manslaughter has sentenced to 10 years of probation, with requirements that include regularly attending church.

Tyler Alred, now 17, had been drinking when he crashed a pickup truck at around 4 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2011, Tulsa World reports. The accident killed Alred's friend, 16-year-old John Luke Dum, who was a passenger in the vehicle.

Alred was not legally drunk, but because he was below the legal drinking age, he was still considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol. The high school student pleaded guilty in August to a charge of manslaughter as a youthful offender.

"I did not want to do what I did," Alred told the court prior to his sentencing. "I want to change my life."

Members of Dum's family did not want to see Alred behind bars, the Muskogee Phoenix reported. "We don't need to see two lives wasted for a mistake," Dum's sister, Caitlin, wrote in a statement.

Instead of sentencing the teen to prison time, Judge Mike Norman gave him a 10-year deferred sentence. In order to stay out of prison, Alred must graduate from high school; graduate from welding school; take drug, alcohol and nicotine tests for a year; wear a drug and alcohol bracelet, take part in victim's impact panels, and attend church for the next 10 years.

This last requirement "raises legal issues because of (the separation of) church and state," University of Oklahoma law professor Randall Coyne told the Tulsa World.

University of Tulsa law professor Gary Allison told KTUL that the church requirement "speaks to maybe forcing people to do religious activities that they would otherwise not do on their own free will … I don't know why a church would want to have someone come to it under the force of government,"

This apparently isn't the case for Alred, though. "My client goes to church every Sunday," defense attorney Donn Baker told the court. "That isn't going to be a problem for him."

[motumbo]

good thing for him, hes not brown or black right? do white people realize how lucky they are?

[Megamel29]

Originally Posted by motumbo ↗

good thing for him, hes not brown or black right? do white people realize how lucky they are?

I don't know if he would have gotten a far more strict sentence if he wasn't white. It's possible.

My problem is that a judge sentenced him to church. Seems like that would be against the Constitution. Also, if his lawyer is being honest and he does go every Sunday anyway, what kind of punishment is that? The parents of the deceased might be far more forgiving than I would be. I can't be sure as I don't have children and I don't know the suspect.

[kellyhound]

like attending church will make him a better or more responsible person. nor it's not up to a judge to give that kind of "conviction".

Nicotine tests too ?
like that has anything to do with that crash.
It's like the judge wants to create some ideal teenager that does nothing out of the ordinary or against any law.

[Sharon]

In order to stay out of prison, Alred must graduate from high school; graduate from welding school; take drug, alcohol and nicotine tests for a year; wear a drug and alcohol bracelet, take part in victim's impact panels, and attend church for the next 10 years.

Sounds good in theory but really not at all a dead cert way to keep him - or anyone - out of prison

[Spiffyfable]

I bet the Priest is happy to have fresh meat

[Rille]

U just gotta love that USA, great country huh... nah.

[DiamondSmiles]

His driving privileges should have been suspended, too.

It's stupid to make him attend church. Do they even know what his beliefs are?

[rapeWhistle]

Fuck that, just send me to jail

Seriously though, i would imagine having to live the rest of his life knowing he killed his friend is a much worse punishment than anything else... that and having to interact with the friend's and family of the deceased - especially in a small town.