Unsatisfactory conclusion to sentencing of driver in the Michael Katz case

Robert Rush, the driver who killed bicyclist Michael Katz while driving an uninsured vehicle with a suspended license and (as he himself admitted) not watching where he was going, has received a further slap-on-the-wrist sentence for driving with a suspended license and other violations.

Rush's license was suspended as a result of the sentencing that resulted from his killing of Katz. That sentence, too, was very light--the only portion with any teeth at all being the license suspension.

That suspension, too, has proven to be completely toothless, according to Russ Willis of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation:

On May 31, Robert Rush pleaded guilty in the county municipal court to two "other parking" violations and was fined 150 on one (amended down from driving while suspended) and 125 on the other (amended down from driving with more than three people in the front seat of the same pickup truck with which he had killed Michael Katz just three weeks earlier), plus court costs of 62.50 on each and an additional fine of 25 on each because he had failed to appear back in November 05 and they had to put out a warrant.

This extraordinarily light sentence was received despite Rush's six license suspensions 2003-2005 and eight convictions for serious traffic violations, including driving without a valid license, in the period 2000-2005.

Many industrialized countries have traffic injury and fatality rates 1/4 to 1/2 of the United States. Those countries regard driving as a privilege, not a right, are not afraid to set and enforce traffic laws, and are not afraid to revoke driving privileges when warranted.