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Subscribe to RSSN.C. state Rep. Larry Womble was charged Thursday with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle nearly six months after his car veered into oncoming traffic, killing a man, the Winston-Salem Journal reported.
Witnesses to the crash said that Womble’s car crossed into the opposite lane around 11 p.m. Dec. 2. Toxicology reports indicate that Womble, 70, did not have alcohol in his system, WXII12.com reported. David Carmichael, 54, the man killed in the accident, had a blood alcohol level of 0.29, according to the TV news station, more than three times the legal limit for driving in North Carolina.
Womble was critically injured in the accident, according to the Journal, and was in a wheelchair when he turned himself in Thursday. He was released after promising to appear in court later this summer.
The state attorney general’s office will oversee the case because Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, who would normally handle the prosecution, opposes Womble’s position on the Racial Justice Act, the Journal reported.
Womble was a sponsor of the Racial Justice Act, which was enacted in 2009 to allow death row prisoners to appeal their cases on the grounds that racial bias has negatively impacted their sentences, according to ThinkProgress.com. O’Neill opposes the measure.
To date, one man has effectively used the law to have his death sentence overturned by proving that African Americans were prevented from being on the jury for his trial, the Fayetteville Observer reported.
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These scumbags should face criminal charges, what was his severence package? Is he to be paid a pension? These are the key issues Tax payers must stop at once. also what is the benefit package for the Senate and Congress? this is also kept on the down low, why. this guy would get two weeks and the door in private business, why does goverment operate differently? Want to save billions, cout of the Government BS perks, now. there salaries should be equal to private business, they are not in the Military, far from it....
Just curious...why is this lawmaker's party not indicated after his name?
A 6 hour-old story and only 1 comment attached to it. A man was killed, so where is the outrage?
I looked this guy up, and he is a Democrat. I'm guessing that if he were Republican, that factoid would have found it's way into this story at least 3 times, not including the headline...
I realize each news organization has their political leanings, but can't you at least make an ATTEMPT at being non-partisan Mr. or Ms. Online News Editor? I make the effort to read multiple news sources because I want to be fair to both sides. Shouldn't I be afforded the same luxury (fairness) by your organization?
I'd also like to know why, as of this posting, this story was placed in the "US" section and nowhere to be found in "Politics". After all, the person being charged with the death of another man is in fact a LAWMAKER!
The least you could do is bury it somewhere under the top 3 headlines of the moment as listed on my phone, including: "Obama: Romney's speech 'a cow pie of distortion", "Polls: Obama edges Romney in 3 battleground states", and "Poll: Dems have slight edge in 3 key Senate races".
Sheesh... At this point, is MSNBC even trying to maintain some credibility?!?
tough
Perhaps it's because the story had nothing to do with politics? Other then what you are trying to make it into.
Democrat N.C. state Rep. Larry Womble turned himself in to police Thursday afternoon.
flnobody, I will grant you that, however, MSNBC used the term "lawmaker" in the headline. If the fact that he is a "lawmaker" isn't important, why add it in the first place? My point is that it was buried...wouldn't you expect articles written about politicians to be under politics so the people can know what's going on with those they vote for?
Svenolafson: "Womble was critically injured in the accident, according to the Journal, and was in a wheelchair when he turned himself in Thursday. He was released after promising to appear in court later this summer." I did a search and found multiple listings for this story, but this is the first time I personally saw anything on it. I am talking about this particular article at that particular moment. There was NO mention of party affiliation in it.
so the story here is drunk driver killed by elderly driver ? where was the distracted texting driver to finish the deal .....
This guy should not be charged at all. The other driver was drunk and should not have been on the road, therefore it was the drunks fault. Judges and prosecutors are using that philosophy when no one is hurt (to make points with the MADD lobby), they should have to use it when someone is hurt or even killed and let this man go.
I agree 100% he (the drunk guy) shouldn't have been on the road.
That being said, would you feel the same way if he were hit while walking down the sidewalk or if the other driver had no alcohol in their system whatsoever? The story says Womble's car veered into oncoming traffic, and the question is: why? He, like all of us, is responsible for maintaining control of his vehicle at all times while he is behind the wheel, although I would tend to count something like a tire blowout as an unfortunate accident.
The way I see it, he's pretty dang lucky he's only being charged with a misdemeanor!
An unimpaired driver just swerves into oncoming traffic for no reason? There obviously was a reason, perhaps he was not paying attention, a mechanical malfunction in the car itself, or messing around with a cell phone. The other driver may be been driving drunk, but he was driving better than the guy who killed him.
Cullerco and toughcrowd. Just because a man is .29 BAC and driving does not mean other people are allowed to kill him- which is what you just argued. That is silly and horrible. The man that did the killing needs to answer for HIS own actions. So what we see here is a sitting lawmaker kills someone late at night in an unexplained way - unexplained in the media. He should be charged with a manslaughter charge and explain himself in court where he can be turned loose by the jury or given a sentence comensurate with killing innocent people. The dead man is innocent because the legal action here is confined to Womble's driving. Womble did the killing. Womble does the answering. Pretty simple really. It's why US justice when not corrupted is one of the best in the world.
It was an accident; he was not under the influence so why in Gods name are we charging the guy? He was critically injured himself and he knows he caused the death of another man, isn't that enough?
He did not purposely have a traffic accident. (which is why they are called accidents)
If it is believed he is a continued danger to society just take his darn driver license.
This charge and case is the very problem with our justice system. We prosecute to punish, not rehabilitate in this country. Seriously, why should we clog our justice system and jails with a case like this. If you drive on the roads, (especially when drunk) you understand that accidents can happen and lives can be lost. It is each and everyone of us individual risk and decision to make.
Justamom and donai: If you get to sit on the jury, you can hear all the evidence and afterwards you can let him go as an innocent man. He did kill a guy. And it could have been through negligence or some other inappropriate activity. That's why they investigate and that's why they charge people and bring 'em to court. And we have juries so the King's men don't put people in jail without proving their case. Juries are there to protect the citizens. Civics basics course 101. The idea a guy can kill someone and only have to answer a misdeameanor charge is an insult to the citizens. I think kids with firecrackers who don't hurt anyone get charged with low level charges like that
hes a black liberal, so they (liberals/blacks) want to let him go , like oj.
The man killed another and he should face the same penalty anyone else would get.
All bad drivers should face serious penalties for bad driving........... drunk or not. texting or playing with the ipod........old, etc.
The penalty's for wrecking should be the same for EVERYONE and then if drunk it should be a contributing aggravated factor............
I'm sick of all bad drivers and tired of only blaming drunks for bad driving/wrecks.
If you wreck and cause injury your ass should pay through the NOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IReadyou, I find your user name somewhat ironic...
"Cullerco and toughcrowd. Just because a man is .29 BAC and driving does not mean other people are allowed to kill him- which is what you just argued."
Go back and actually read my ENTIRE post, as that is NOT what I argued. Good Lord!
I wouldn't have made the post if that was the case. The point I was making is that the justice system can't have it both ways. Either the drunk is always at fault (because he/she shouldn't be there), or the person who actually caused the accident is.
I can not tell you as a 30 year plus truck driver how many times I have seen someone cross into on coming traffic only to quickly return safely after a good blast of my air horn. Would that perfectly good honest citizen, mother, father, teacher, cop, be guilty of a crime if someone was killed and all parties sobber? It is a I am sad to say a very bad accident but an accident all the same. Being that the other driver was the intoxicated party by law he should not have been there. Like it or not when we all get behind the wheel we are accepting the fact accidents happen and any mistake we make could be our last or as in this case cause it to be someone else's.
I find it hard to find any criminal wrong doing by this judge when everyone of us will one day find ourselves on the wrong side of the road, if not already. When that day arrives I pray you'll find no one on the otherside so you can then safely drive yourself to the nearest police station and turn yourself in for attempted murder, if you feel the judge did anything wrong other than cause a very bad accident.
Not a judge, a state representative. Read the article. Judges don't make laws, they clarify on the meaning of them.
A moot point to the meaning of the article and original post.
He'll probably get 30 days, or a slap on the hand.
If he gets off the hook he'll be in trouble with DAMM (Drunks against Mad Mothers). MADD is always picking on them.
imnotlost
Why? He did get another drunk driver off the road. They may give him a plaque.
imnotlost
Sorry, I misread your comment. Late night. [®¿®]
he'll get off...if the guy who was killed was not driving drunk,even though the accident was not his fault,he would have not been there to be involved in the crash...
.
I agree, especially this news outlet, if it can be called a "real news outlet". Msnbc is so under the thumb of the liberal Dem. that I am astonished that it made it this far.
I live in the winston - salem forsyth county area.to me it is just another example of "all animals are equal ,but some animals are more equal than others"it reminded me of another n.c. state senator ian "ted " kaplan he also "lost" control of his vehicle and killed a woman whose car was broke down on the side of the road it was a clear day on an open stretch of highway.nothing happened to him of any consequense he is now ,i believe a county commisioner and still is an owner of a large school supply company. if that happened to you or me we would have lost everything we have or ever would have.oh did i mention he is a liberal democrat also ?who would have thought!!!