WTF Teen sentenced to 10 years of church.

[11B4V]

http://www.newser.com/story/158828/teens-sentence-10-years-of-church.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=united&utm_campaign=rss_3_2

(Newser) – What sounds better to you: Having to attend church for 10 years, or going to prison for manslaughter? If you said the former, you're not the ACLU. Tyler Alred, 17, was behind the wheel in a 2011 alcohol-related crash that killed his passenger, and Oklahoma Judge Mike Norman last month offered Alred the opportunity to avoid hard time and be sentenced instead to probation—so long as he goes to church regularly for a decade, reports the Tulsa World. The ACLU yesterday filed a complaint against Norman, condemning "the level of disregard" he "showed towards the US Constitution and the constitution of the state of Oklahoma."

The state's ACLU director explained that "we believe in a strong and independent judiciary. We didn't file this complaint lightly." A state council comprised of judges and lawyers will decide whether it wants to recommend that action be taken against Norman.

[garbon]

I'd totally take the church option.

[11B4V]

I'd totally take the church option.

No shit, huh.

[garbon]

I don't know if someone like Viking could.

[derspiess]

I'd totally take the church option.

Depends on the church.  If it was that Mission Baptist church I had to go to a couple times with my friend's family as a kid, that'd be a tough decision

[merithyn]

If I got to choose which spiritual group I spent my time with, sure. If I had to go to church every Sunday, then, no, I don't know that I could do that for 10 years.

[garbon]

I'd totally take the church option.

Depends on the church.  If it was that Mission Baptist church I had to go to a couple times with my friend's family as a kid, that'd be a tough decision

Any particular horrible bits?

I've been to some boring churches (with lengthy services) but still I think I'd opt for it.

[garbon]

If I got to choose which spiritual group I spent my time with, sure. If I had to go to church every Sunday, then, no, I don't know that I could do that for 10 years.

So you'd rather just do several full years in prison?

[merithyn]

If I got to choose which spiritual group I spent my time with, sure. If I had to go to church every Sunday, then, no, I don't know that I could do that for 10 years.

So you'd rather just do several full years in prison?

How many years?

[garbon]

If I got to choose which spiritual group I spent my time with, sure. If I had to go to church every Sunday, then, no, I don't know that I could do that for 10 years.

So you'd rather just do several full years in prison?

How many years?

Quick search gave me:

Because first offense Oklahoma DUI is a misdemeanor, a fatal DUI accident would fall under the first definition of manslaughter in the first degree.  First-degree manslaughter in Oklahoma is a felony punishable by four years to life in prison.

[Neil]

Jail is more boring than church.

[derspiess]

Any particular horrible bits?

I've been to some boring churches (with lengthy services) but still I think I'd opt for it.

Rock music is the devil's music, you're going to hell if you do this, you're going to hell if you do that.  They even started demonizing *country* music at one service I had to attend (mind you the entire congregation consisted of rednecks).  Lots of yelling from the pulpit.  Nobody ever seemed to enjoy being there.  I always thought the extreme fire & brimstone churches were a Hollywood myth until I attended a service there.  Sunday School was mostly just reading scripture, with the teacher not making much of an attempt to make it relevant to kids.  Not sure if other Missionary Baptist churches are like that, since my sample is just 1.

Made me really appreciate my own Methodist church, which at its very worst was only boring.

[garbon]

Also the teen in question has to do the following:

The teenager must wear an ankle bracelet that monitors alcohol consumption; attend victim-impact panels and speak at events about the consequences of drinking and driving; graduate from high school and welding school; attend counseling; and undergo drug and alcohol assessments.

[merithyn]

Quick search gave me:

Because first offense Oklahoma DUI is a misdemeanor, a fatal DUI accident would fall under the first definition of manslaughter in the first degree.  First-degree manslaughter in Oklahoma is a felony punishable by four years to life in prison.

If I could get away with serving two years or less, I'd have to seriously have to think about it. I'd probably take the church thing because I'm a big chicken, but I'd have to really think about it. Especially if it were a holy-roller Baptist-type church. 

[Habbaku]

~1040 hours of church spaced out over 10 years or ~35,000 hours (assuming 4 year sentence) in prison. 

This is a decision?