This young lady was a college student on her way 2 the store 4 ice cream. Now her and her mother are in prison. Is this a fair judgement?

Aimee Michael Sentenced To 36 Years In Prison For Deadly Crash

Posted: 9:29 am EDT November 4, 2010Updated: 11:55 am EDT November 4, 2010

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- Aimee Michael was sentenced to 36 years in prison for causing a crash on Easter Sunday that killed five people.

The sentence was handed down on Thursday.

Prosecutors had sought 50 years prison time, while the defense has asked for 10 years.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Regan was in the courtroom when she apologized in court for the first time on Thursday. With tears streaming down her face, she said she wronged three families.

"I want to say that I am wrong. I have wronged three families and for that I am sorry," said Michael.

RAW VIDEO: Aimee Michael Apologizes In Court

A Fulton County jury found Michael, 24, guilty on all counts Monday.

Michael was charged with starting a collision that killed five people on Easter Sunday 2009 and then fleeing the scene.

Her mother, 52-year-old former school teacher Sheila Michael, was also sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in the cover-up. She pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with evidence and hindering the apprehension of a criminal before Aimee Michael's trial began.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news...etail.html

[Edited 11/4/10 9:18am]

"Michael's defense attorneys conceded that she fled the scene of the accident, but said she shouldn't face vehicular homicide charges because she didn't cause the wreck. They said tire tracks show Michael was sideswiped by another car before the accident."

Even if this wasn't the case, 50 years does seem a bit excessive. It's not like it was premeditated or she was under the influence of anything. I'm sure she'll win her appeal.

that sounds a bit harsh

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

The victims were all Black but I hear u. I just don't think this serves anyone that this woman and her Mother are in jail 4 so long.

Graycap23 said:

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

The victims were all Black but I hear u. I just don't think this serves anyone that this woman and her Mother are in jail 4 so long.

What??? Now that IS interesting.

Do either the mother or daughter have previous criminal records? I'm rather shocked now.

Wow....the daughter will be in her 50s by the time she gets out. the mother already being in her 50s might not survive 8 years of prison living conditions.

I dunno though. If someone killed my family member and then tried to hide that fact, I'd want them locked up for a very long time. I'm just not sure I'd want them locked up for 36 years. It was afterall an accident right?

DesireeNevermind said:

Graycap23 said:

The victims were all Black but I hear u. I just don't think this serves anyone that this woman and her Mother are in jail 4 so long.

What??? Now that IS interesting.

Do either the mother or daughter have previous criminal records? I'm rather shocked now.

Wow....the daughter will be in her 50s by the time she gets out. the mother already being in her 50s might not survive 8 years of prison living conditions.

I dunno though. If someone killed my family member and then tried to hide that fact, I'd want them locked up for a very long time. I'm just not sure I'd want them locked up for 36 years. It was afterall an accident right?

Yes.

DesireeNevermind said:

I dunno though. If someone killed my family member and then tried to hide that fact, I'd want them locked up for a very long time. I'm just not sure I'd want them locked up for 36 years. It was afterall an accident right?

yes BUT ~ they left the scene and tried to cover it up ... that takes the "innocence" of it simply being an "accident" out of the equation !

It is definitely excessive... was she charged with murder? just seems strange to me vehicular homicide could get 36 years....

I'm also wondering about the nature of the accident itself... was she drunk?

[Edited 11/4/10 10:39am]

Oh ~ and everyone KNOWS ...life is NOT fair

The article says she was sideswiped before the accident...so was it really her fault?

Graycap and I live 'round these parts. I think if she hadn't gone into hiding and her mother hadn't hustled a body repair guy to do repair work on the car inside the garage, she wouldn't be served as harsh a punishment.

I think if she had stopped or turned herself in, the case would not result in this.

Spelling edit

[Edited 11/4/10 10:48am]

What's also sad is that the mother was probably operating on instinct. She didn't want her daughter going to prison for nearly the rest of her life so she tried to cover up any evidence that her daughter was involved. Unfortunately, the very thing she was trying to protect her child from winds up happening to the both of them.

KatSkrizzle said:

Graycap and I live 'round these parts. I think if she hadn't gone into hiding and her mother hadn't hustled a body repair guy to do repair work on the car inside the garage, she wouldn't be served as harsh a punishment.

I think if she had stopped or turned herself in, the case would not result in this.

The cover up is always what gets people in trouble.

lazycrockett said:

The cover up is always what gets people in trouble.

Still, 50years?

We only have what is written in the article...there has to be more to this for her to get a sentence like that.

KatSkrizzle said:

Graycap and I live 'round these parts. I think if she hadn't gone into hiding and her mother hadn't hustled a body repair guy to do repair work on the car inside the garage, she wouldn't be served as harsh a punishment.

I think if she had stopped or turned herself in, the case would not result in this.

Spelling edit

[Edited 11/4/10 10:48am]

That's probably why the sentence is so high. She was more concerned with herself than the people who were killed. I'm telling ya man, don't lie and things will be ok. It's when you start acting shady that you can almost guarantee you will get screwed.

yeah a hit & run is a lot more serious than any regular accident

But it also depends on whether the accident was her fault. If it was her fault, then it's not really an accident, it's negligence

thats a little too long, im sorry

and she killed 5 not 4

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

no, the victims were black

she killed a whole family

mother, father and the three kids

XxAxX said:

that sounds a bit harsh

I hope they can appeal it.

I think that kind of sentence would do for rapists, pedophiles and such.

Does it seem fair that 5 people lost their lives?

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

She killed 5 people and fled the scene and then tried to cover things up. WTF? Of course, this is fair. She deserves everything she's getting. It makes no difference what colour her skin is or those of the victims. If she had've stayed on the scene and taken responsibility then I could see a sentence of 5-10 years, but she didn't so........................

Her sentence would have been less if she stayed and try to save some lives instead of just thinking of hers.

Empress said:

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

She killed 5 people and fled the scene and then tried to cover things up. WTF? Of course, this is fair. She deserves everything she's getting. It makes no difference what colour her skin is or those of the victims. If she had've stayed on the scene and taken responsibility then I could see a sentence of 5-10 years, but she didn't so........................

historically, in the southern parts of the U.S., skin color has always made a difference in the types of prison sentences people get and the types of justice victims get.

kpowers said:

Her sentence would have been less if she stayed and try to save some lives instead of just thinking of hers.

And in that context ten years for each life taken seems like a light sentence, imo. Driving away and attempting to have the damage repaired shows clear guilt, not to mention premeditated assholery.

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

You don't know how you feel??? Ok what if she killed 5 memebers of your family, now how would you feel??

kpowers said:

DesireeNevermind said:

Not sure how I feel about this. She did kill 5 people and then fled the scene and she and her mother tried to cover up their involvement. Something similar happened in Cali some years back where a teen girl killed somebody in a car accident and her mother helped her cover it up by taking the car to another county and going so far as to repair the damage.

If they hadn't tried to cover it up they probably would have gotten the 10 year sentence and would have only served maybe 6 or 7 years.

On the other hand....this IS Georgia we're talking about. My guess is some or all of the victims were white. We all know the legal system is fucked up when it comes to minorities. Still....she did kill 5 people.

You don't know how you feel??? Ok what if she killed 5 memebers of your family, now how would you feel??

Read further up and check my ealier posts for the answer to your question.

DesireeNevermind said:

kpowers said:

You don't know how you feel??? Ok what if she killed 5 memebers of your family, now how would you feel??

Read further up and check my ealier posts for the answer to your question.

ok, so you would have them locked up for a long time but not 36 years, for killing 5 people. That comes out to about 7 years per person. 7 years equals one persons life??? Thats not fair.

[Edited 11/4/10 13:53pm]