Black GA Woman Raquel Nelson Faces More Jail Time than Jerry Guy, Drunk Driver Who Killed Her Son

FROM DEMOCRACY NOW:

A grieving African-American mother in Georgia is facing the potential of more time in prison than the drunk driver who struck and killed her child and then fled the scene. Raquel Nelson lost her four-year-old son while trying to shuttle him across a five-lane highway, along with two of her other children. Jerry Guy — a partially-blind man who has admitted to having consumed alcohol and painkillers beforehand — hit the young boy with his vehicle. The child later died of his injuries. Nelson and her daughter were also struck and suffered injuries. An all-white jury has convicted Nelson of homicide by vehicle in the second degree, jaywalking and reckless conduct. She could serve up to three years in prison. Meanwhile, the drunk driver, Guy — who was previously convicted of two-hit-and-runs in one day in 1997 — was initially charged with hit and run, first degree homicide by a vehicle and cruelty to children. But the charges were later dropped to simply hit and run. Guy served a six-month jail term and will spend the remainder of his five-year sentence on probation.

How many people actually get charged for jaywalking in this country? A jury can acquit Casey Anthony of child neglect, but yet another jury can find a woman who has lost her child at the hands of a drunk driver guilty for jaywalking. Amazing.

UPDATE: Raquel Nelson is asking the judge for leniency during her upcoming sentencing on Tuesday. She said she didn’t think that the jury that convicted her “could relate to what I was going through. All of the jurors stated they’ve never ridden public transportation, and they’ve never really been in my shoes, so I think there was maybe not a jury of peers.” Amen.

This is a story we covered when the incident first occurred last year and the mainstream media outlets didn't bother to pick it up, except the local media. This was unfair and just plain wrong. They can let a murderer like Casey Anthony go but they want to prosecute this woman to the fullest extent of the law and for what? Jaywalking? Give me a break.