Maybe I am not the sickest person out there.
6:48 p.m. || 2005-02-23

From time to time it's nice to see someone do something or hear someone say something that helps you realize that other people are more fucked up than I am. I'm pretty certain that's the reason most of you read this site... At least I hope it is. I've done some messed up things and Lord knows I'm not exactly the most normal person in the world. Someone out to get a little bit of enjoyment out of my mistakes. Anyway, this wasn't intended to be a diatribe, so let's get on with the story.


As you all (both of you) know by now, I've returned to school and I'm working on my JD. One of the classes that I'm taking this semester is Criminal Law. It's a great class, because it's interesting. You're talking about murders, drug offenses, DWI, rape, etc. All the horrible shit that you see on the TV and in the newspaper every night. You know, the stuff that Americans love. The vile side of society.

Anyway, this week specifically we were learning about the difference between Murder and Manslaughter and exactly which types of acts are consistent with each of these charges.

For example, Murder can simply be the intent to kill someone carried out successfully. That's the cut and dried boring version, but not the only way to accomplish murder. For example, say I know this fat smelly goaltender and he comes to my house for a party and pukes in my refrigerator. I want a little revenge of course, so I think I'll hit him with a baseball bat and break a few ribs... That way the next time he upchucks in somebodies house it'll hurt like hell. Unfortunately when I whack him, he dies. Bam. Murder based on Intent to do serious bodily harm. Another way would be if I was robbing someone at gunpoint, accidentally dropped the gun and it went off killing someone across the street. That would be felony murder.

Manslaughter on the other hand is usually an accident. You run a stop sign and kill someone... Manslaughter. Also, if you walk in on your wife/husband in the sack with someone else and kill them, that's also a Manslaughter case. It's what we call a "heat of passion" killing. No death penalty for you, not even in Texas.

I tell you all of that so that I can tell you this. As we leave class on Tuesday I hear a buddy of mine make the following comment:

"So, tell me if I've got this right... If I'm raping Rusty's mom, and sodomizing her, and she somehow hemmorhages and dies during the process, then that is felony murder, because even though I didn't intend her death I was committing a (2) felony. But, then if Rusty walks in and sees me in the process and he shoots me dead, that is only manslaughter because it is a crime of instant passion and therefore does not contain the requisite 'intent' of murder. So, have I pretty much got it?"

I shit you not. I had never thought of it that way... and officially someone else is more fucked up than I am.

Oh, by the way... it cost me about $1500 in tuition for that class...

You can pay me later.

Older Lies||Younger Lies

Wanna know how to scare your ex? - 2005-03-12
Maybe I am not the sickest person out there. - 2005-02-23
I'm out of my funk and I'm not talking about hygiene. - 2005-02-11
Ding Dong the Sports Season is Dead. - 2005-02-07
Wow, is this thing still on? - 2005-01-31

6:48 p.m. || 2005-02-23


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ABOUT ME
I'm 28, tired of working and avoiding the real world by returning to school to seek advanced degrees.

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College Athletics and the Great Outdoors

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The NBA

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