This past week, Q-line asked: Do you agree with the jury’s verdict in the Farmers’ Market crash case? What form of sentence would you advise the judge to impose on Russell Weller? Here are your responses: ✆ “I do agree with the jury’s verdict to find him guilty of all 10 counts. As far as his sentence, and although he has been concerned about going to court, he has had three years to be with his family, to be on the outside, whereas the people he ran over and killed did not have that pleasure of being with their families the past three years. Therefore, I do believe he should be sentenced to at least one to two years in prison. If he is still alive, then he should be allowed to come out of prison because of his age, and for the rest of his years he should be confined to his house on house arrest. I don’t think he should be kept in prison for 18 years because it is going to cost the taxpayers a lot of money. But he should very definitely be punished for what happened at the Farmers’ Market.” ✆ “Yes, I agree with the jury’s verdict. The sentence I would suggest is what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. It doesn’t matter if he is 18 or 80, he killed people and he doesn’t deserve that much respect because of his age. He messed up.” ✆ “In order to judge Weller, one must consider Weller’s actions that were a prelude to that which will be known as the city of Santa Monica’s food, egg and vegetable stand massacre. Weller’s action, known as a hit-and-run, is a felony and the least penalty for Weller’s actions would have been a heavy fine and suspension of his driver’s license. For Weller’s sake, I trust his actions in fleeing were due to fear and panic for his realization that his future transportation would be riding the bus. It is also interesting to note that the trial was moved to downtown Los Angeles instead of Santa Monica. Those families who lost family members and those who were wounded wanted a fair trial. The city of Santa Monica has a long history of not accepting responsibility when the city’s actions are irresponsible. Weller is an old man and no practical purpose would be served by sending him to jail at the expense of taxpayers. It would create a terrible burden on the jailers. I would rather see the money spent to keep Weller in jail divided among those who felt and are feeling a terrible loss.” ✆ “No I don’t agree with the verdict. I think that it could have been ordinary negligence, not gross negligence. I don’t think that he intended to do that. I think that he is just elderly and probably has some dementia. I don’t think he should do any kind of prison time at all.” ✆ “Weller killed 10 people. We have to remember that. He is so old he’ll probably die in jail anyway and use that as sympathy to say that we shouldn’t send him to jail because he is so old and ill. They should ask the families of the 10 people what his sentence should be. I know if any of my family members were killed by him, I’d probably kill him myself.” ✆ “They should throw his ass in jail. He could be 89, 99, 109. I’m in my 80s also and I drive a car, and I know the difference between the brake and the gas pedal. If he didn’t know the difference, he should not have been driving. He should not be out on the street even walking or in a wheelchair. He should not be out.” ✆ “I agree with the jury’s verdict. The judge should impose the following sentence. Every day for the rest of George Russell Weller’s life should be spent with a family member of each of the 10 people he killed and with each of the more than 60 people injured and with the family members of those who died within the three years since the accident. Each family member of those killed, those who died subsequently and those injured in person should tell Weller how his gross negligence on that day has affected their lives — how they suffered and continue to suffer, how they miss their loved ones and how he ruined each remaining life touched by his mayhem... how they will never be the same and how they suffer in sadness and despair.
After he has spent time with each and every person affected by him, he should visit each and every grave and lay down flowers and tell them how sorry he is for killing them and ruining the lives of every person related to each life he took. Then, he should apologize individually to every vendor at the Farmers’ Market on that day and then to the city of Santa Monica and to the community. He should attend his church every day he has left on this earth and pray for all those lives with the pain of his gross negligence. He should sell his Santa Monica home and the millions from the sale should be divided among all the people affected by the Farmers’ Market crash to use for the doctor bills, funeral and all related expenses.” ✆ “I think that he shouldn’t have to go to jail. I think it’s the fault of the city for not putting barricades around. Speaking about justice, what about O.J. Simpson, who got to go away? And this guy gets to do jail? I don’t think it’s fair.” ✆ “I agree that he’s completely guilty and he should spend the rest of this life in jail. It was a horrible, horrible thing he did killing and injuring all the others. He should definitely take full responsibility and spend the rest of his life in jail.” ✆ “Yes, it was the right verdict. The prosecutor and jury were excellent. Weller should spend at least some token time in prison. He has, so far, been allowed to escape all responsibility for the havoc his caused. He managed to postpone the case for three years by stonewalling. He did not even attempt to come to his own trial, even for the sentencing. Now his lawyer will buy him more time with appeals. The people whose lives were destroyed or killed can never sue for regress. If you are too old to be held accountable for your actions, you are too old to drive.” ✆ “Yes, I think the jury did a wonderful job. The fact that it took over two weeks to make their decision, they weren’t relying on their emotions, they were relying on the fact that he deliberately plowed through there, trying to escape the consequences of hitting the Mercedes. But now that the prosecution may not seek jail time, what was the point of the whole trial? Why don’t they just pat him on the back and let him go? If he did the crime, he’s got to do the time. He’s 89, that’s too bad. He should not have been driving. If they do not seek jail time, then they have wasted everybody, including that wonderful jury’s time.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 28, 2006. Read the original PDF.