Another example of victims seeking leniency

As I have stressed before, the role of victims in sentencing is always dynamic and nuanced (and victims are not always seeking severe outcomes).  A good example of these realities comes from this state sentencing story out of Missouri:

A former MU student was sentenced Monday to five years’ probation for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed his best friend in May 2006.  Adam Droesch, 22, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to first-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault.  He was facing up to 30 years in prison, but the victim’s parents asked the court to show leniency in deciding Droesch’s sentence.

“No amount of jail time would ever compare to the amount of remorse he feels,” the victim’s father, Gerald Keeven, said, reading from a letter he had written to Boone County Circuit Judge Gene Hamilton.  He told the judge that he made the request without “misgivings or hesitation.”…

As part of his probation, Droesch will complete 200 hours of community service, which will include participating in victim impact panels and doing other work with organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.