07-10-2019, 08:59 AM
(07-10-2019, 08:45 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I think the fact that he wanted to bail on his own suicide and she encouraged him to go through with it in real time is probably the reason she's being held accountable.
Him wanting to leave his truck was an indication that he didn't want to do it.
Now, why this guy would take her word over his own mind...I can't really say.
I think there's something to be said about "If this person is crazy enough to convince her friend to kill himself, what else is she crazy enough to do?" but I'm not sure if there's a precedent to punish someone because their mindset or beliefs make them prone to committing crime...
If I were a jury member in a case like this, I think I could derive that she's a really shitty friend (and possibly person), but not a criminal based on this situation. The thing is, I could definitely see a jury feeling that same way, but then convicting anyway because they can justify that shitty people deserve punishment. There's an unwritten rule in our society of "Don't be an asshole" and she definitely violated that rule. But I doubt it would hold up to legal scrutiny.
And that's where I think the supreme court comes in. I wouldn't be surprised if they overturn the ruling.
As an aside: Is there anything about his family being charged for the physical and verbal abuse he endured at home? Because I would say that was a much bigger factor in his death.
How do you protect the mentally ill? I think in most cases your words without actions should hold very little in terms of liability, however I think there are exceptions; one of those being towards the mentally ill. This case wasn't a passing comment it was a bombardment of encouragement to commit suicide. To me it would be no different than if she told a 4 year old to jump off a cliff, the person you are giving these instructions to is not mentally capable of processing this "advice" and handling it correctly.
The issue to me here is to say words don't have power against certain classes is to set a precedent that could become even more dangerous in the world of social media. Again, one off comments I think are much different then what we saw in this case and I think carving out a very specific way for words to kill is important for the future of online interactions, especially with minors.
