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Texas drunk drivers will now have to pay child support if they kill a parent, guardian (www.cnn.com)

submitted 2 years ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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A new law in Texas requires convicted drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian, according to House Bill 393.

The law, which went into effect Friday, says those convicted of intoxication manslaughter must pay restitution. The offender will be expected to make those payments until the child is 18 or until the child graduates from high school, “whichever is later,” the legislation says.

Intoxication manslaughter is defined by state law as a person operating “a motor vehicle in a public place, operates an aircraft, a watercraft, or an amusement ride, or assembles a mobile amusement ride; and is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another by accident or mistake.”

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[-] Bipta@kbin.social 116 points 2 years ago

This just seems like theater. What if you disable the parents such that they can't support their kid? You slip through?

[-] gravalicious@lemmy.world 120 points 2 years ago

It's theater. People go to prison for intoxication manslaughter. How are they making money to pay for child support? What kind of job will they really get after getting out of prison for essentially murder?

[-] radix@lemmy.world 109 points 2 years ago

A cynical person might even say this is an attempt by the state and insurance companies to justify not having any sort of security net for victims' families. If one person can be held financially responsible for the kids, why should anyone else have to step in?

[-] snooggums@kbin.social 54 points 2 years ago

That is exactly what it is, aimed at drunk drivers first because everyone will be on board with that demographic first. Then it will be expanded over time.

[-] radix@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -- H.L. Mencken

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

Like how your insurance doesn't work if you get hurt on the job?

[-] BanjoShepard@lemmy.world 44 points 2 years ago

Also, why just drunk driving? Why not you pay child support for murder?

[-] flipht@kbin.social 30 points 2 years ago

Because if you get convicted of murder, you go to jail for a long period of time and never really make much money again, even if you get out.

Their child support payments would be like 16.53 per month.

[-] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago

Then they pay it.

[-] bluGill@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago

Murder is not near the problem of driving. Few people murder, but many have accidents.

[-] Pwrupdude@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

If someone is unable to pay the restitution because they’re incarcerated, they’re expected to make payments no “later than the first anniversary of the date,” of their release, the law says.

From the article. So seems like they thought of that too

[-] Thewheeeeeeeeeel@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

So how long do you get for manslaughter in the us? 8 years? So at best the child gets support like 9 years later and only if the person manages to get a good enough job... Maybe the life of a child shouldn't be a lottery but just backed by the state

[-] Bipta@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

Are you replying to the right person?

this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2023

1625 points (100.0% liked)

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