Anne Sacoolas - US opinion

[Procrastinator]

I know what i think of the situation, but I have no clue on public perception of it in the US.

Is there any public awareness? If there is how is it playing out? Or is the story winding down and going away?

[duchy]

My feeling is she may very well have had very little control over what happened after the accident . Trump's behaviour yesterday was disgraceful. Good for the Dunns for refusing to allow him to turn it into another photo op

[BevS97]

I’m not sure what she is to be brought back to be tried for? Dangerous driving? Do we jail people for dangerous driving. I feel sorry for both parties. It’s a horribly tragic situation but I’m not clear what outcome the family are looking for.

[Loopylooloo]

I am struggling to understand why she isn't being sent back to UK, why is it being covered up, what actually happened? How can she live with herself not coming clean?! Something is amiss here.

Those poor parents, the President tried to ambush them into seeing Mrs Sacoolas when they were at the White House, (they refused) and then he has apparently said she will not be coming back to the UK. WHY?

[Loopylooloo]

Originally Posted by BevS97

I’m not sure what she is to be brought back to be tried for? Dangerous driving? Do we jail people for dangerous driving. I feel sorry for both parties. It’s a horribly tragic situation but I’m not clear what outcome the family are looking for.

See more...

I believe so, if someone has died through reckless driving or drink driving of course.

[Omega1]

A friend of ours did a similar thing in France - drove off a supermarket car park on the wrong side of the road. There was a head on collision and were seriously injured as was the driver of the other car. She was prosecuted for something like dangerous driving - was fined, but no jail sentence. There are similarities in that in both cases, it was a loss of concentration but I suspect, not deliberately reckless.
I am disappointed that Ms Sacoolas has chosen to run away and it’s only the tenacity of the family and media pressure that has brought it to head.

[GrumpyDopey&Me]

Originally Posted by BevS97

I’m not sure what she is to be brought back to be tried for? Dangerous driving? Do we jail people for dangerous driving. I feel sorry for both parties. It’s a horribly tragic situation but I’m not clear what outcome the family are looking for.

See more...

Yes. It’s death by dangerous driving and you can get up to 14 years.

I think it’s a disgrace and she is a disgusting woman. If it was me, just for my own conscience I would need to face the consequences and take my punishment. I couldn’t go on living my life like I’d done nothing wrong. Yes accidents happen but she killed him and this isn’t the first time she has been arrested for drive badly. Shame on her and shame on Trump

[Procrastinator]

Originally Posted by BevS97

I’m not sure what she is to be brought back to be tried for? Dangerous driving? Do we jail people for dangerous driving. I feel sorry for both parties. It’s a horribly tragic situation but I’m not clear what outcome the family are looking for.

See more...

The circumstances are pretty clear. They have cctv of her driving on the wrong side of the road.

On the one hand she made a very simple mistake which i think most people could easily make. But on the other hand when she got in that car to drive she is accepting the responsibilty to do so safely. She didn't a person has died as a result of it.

She should go through the courts. Do i think she should go to jail. Probably not. Or not a long term. But the point is the police should be able to investigate the incident as the detail is not all known and a jury should be able to form an opinion. That is fair to the boy and his family.

The US government is not going to send her back so the only thing that might move it is public opinion. Hence my question. Is this even news in the US?

[sparklegirl]

I think its slightly different in this case.

She has committed a serious offence (death by dangerous driving?) but she did have diplomatic status in this country. I suspect that she went initially to the Police Station to cooperate and then when her lawyer or the US State department because involved then Diplomatic Immunity was asserted. It isnt something that is granted by the UK, she has it by virtue of having a Diplomatic Passport. Our officials and their families have this in whatever country they serve in. An application by the police was made to have a waiver of the immunity but this was not granted by the USA. It is a bit of a moot point now anyway as her dip status has cease to exist as she is now in her home country. She cannot claim immunity from the country that grants her status she is simply a US citizen when there.
I would assume that standard routes are possibly now available ie extradition but I dont know how the law sits when the offence was carried out by someone who at the time had immunity. It may be an impossible court case as the immunity existed at the time the incident happened. Smarter legal minds than me will know that.

I must admit I despised Mr Trumps offer for the family to meet the woman. I think that was ill considered and ill advised and who in their right mind figured that would help needs a good look at themselves. I am not sure what the family want as although they say they want justice they also say they dont want her to go to prison. For what its worth I think that if they want justice then the court will decide what is the appropriate punishment should there be a need to do so. If that means prison then thats what should happen. It is not within the gift of the family to say jail wont be an option that is for a Judge. My heart absolutely goes out to them on the loss of their son and I genuinely ave no idea how I would deal with the awful situation if I had been in it.

I am far from a legal expert but did have lots of contact with diplomats and family when I worked in Immigration and then in Border Force. I actually have a lot of friends who currently serve overseas and have the similar protection of Diplomatic Status granted to them. They are not all diplomats either but work for the UK Government overseas so its not all spies and Ambassadors who get it.

[may]

I do feel sorry for Ann Sacoolas. I'm sure that a momentary lapse of concentration such as we can all have led to an appalling outcome that she would do anything to reverse.
However, I feel desperately sorry for the Dunn family who have had it made painfully apparent that Ann Sacoolas and the US regard due reckoning for their lost son as less important than some unpleasantness to a 'diplomat's' wife.
We are not a totalitarian country which is unjust by design. Nor are we a struggling, war torn , developing country where things may frequently be unjust by accident. Our judicial system is as trustworthy as that of the US and less punitive.
Ann Sacoolas' cowardly evasion of accountability and the collusion in that of the US authorities is a shame on a great nation. I don't know what US citizens make of it but I suspect at least some of them must be squirming in embarrassment.