Driving offenses are a matter of public record. Boehmer - now 18 and a legal adult - pleaded guilty to two of them when his case came to court. A police investigation found him to be at fault. In a case involving a death, this newspaper's responsibility to report outweighs any desire to protect a young person from embarrassment. (Disclosure: I have an 18-year-old son.)
Teenagers, when they take up the responsibility of driving, should be aware that if they are involved in a crash, their names can end up in the newspaper. The lucky ones will be those who live to see their names in print.
I'm sure Boehmer has many fine qualities. Otherwise, he wouldn't rate a friend like you. And I'll take your word for it that he feels the weight of his actions every day.
But I've talked to Weida Stoecker, looked in her eyes and heard her talk about the void in her life left by the sudden death of her best friend and husband. There's a level of grief there that you and your friend can't begin to know.
Even so, I don't get hate from her or a desire for vengeance. She's a strong Christian, and her need to forgive is as strong as your friend's need to be forgiven. But it's easier to forgive when the person who has caused you pain apologizes and takes steps to atone. (Telling his story to high school driving classes would be a start.)
Your point about the lawyers is probably correct. But there's no jail time at stake - just the off chance a civil jury would penalize a defendant for apologizing. A client who feels strongly that a course of action is right can overrule lawyers. And be better off for having done so. William D. Roessler, deputy state's attorney for Anne Arundel County, wrote that he read the article with interest because he prosecutes fatal accident cases.
The Maryland State's Attorneys have sponsored legislation for several years which would require drivers in fatal accidents to appear in court rather than be able to simply pay the fine, but the legislature does not seem to be interested. Maybe articles like yours will help.
We have suggested that if a "negligent automobile homicide" statute were passed with a minimal possible jail sentence, at least those responsible for the death would have to appear in court. Other states have such statutes.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but there are committees in Annapolis where bills that any reasonable person would applaud are squelched - usually in the dark of night with no reporters in the room.
By all means, the state's attorneys should give it another go. Ultimately, it's a matter of clout. It's a little harder for a committee to kill a bill when the first name on the sponsor line is that of the House speaker or Senate president.
Behind the scenes, the most effective argument is that a bill is good for the politically powerful defense bar. If you have to show up in court, you're more likely to engage the services of a lawyer.
Incidentally, Stoecker would make an excellent witness. In an e-mail, she expressed gratitude for the column and reported that she's talking with her state legislator about possible bills.
"Anything that I can do to get out the word that speed kills, I will be glad to do," she wrote.
