A new law in Texas requires convicted drunk drivers to pay child support if they kill a child’s parent or guardian, according to House Bill 393.

The law, which went into effect Friday, says those convicted of intoxication manslaughter must pay restitution. The offender will be expected to make those payments until the child is 18 or until the child graduates from high school, “whichever is later,” the legislation says.

Intoxication manslaughter is defined by state law as a person operating “a motor vehicle in a public place, operates an aircraft, a watercraft, or an amusement ride, or assembles a mobile amusement ride; and is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another by accident or mistake.”

    • flipht@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Because if you get convicted of murder, you go to jail for a long period of time and never really make much money again, even if you get out.

      Their child support payments would be like 16.53 per month.

        • flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Touché. Maybe to bring it back into the realms of ‘worth keeping’, it could be means-tested (so of you have assets then this stands and you gotta liquefy that wealth, but if you’re essentially unable to pay its recognized as a barrier to rehabilitation?)

          I’m being incredibly naive here, I know…

      • bobman@unilem.org
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        1 year ago

        Doesn’t matter. Seize their assets and auction them off. Use the proceeds to fund the reparations.

        • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Person has a bad day after losing their job or some other real life event like losing their mother. Accidentally runs a red light and kills someone. Officer says they were drunk. Breathilizer says 0.0 and person says they were sober. Poof. They go to prison, and you are now asking someone to go to their house, sieze all their assets and throw their children and spouse out into homelessness because of an accident that involved one of the MANY incidents that occur where people get charged with DUI/DWI without being intoxicated.

          • bobman@unilem.org
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            1 year ago

            I think you’re manufacturing fantastical situations because you want to agree with the crowd.

            Gonna block you now. That was a bunch of gibberish.

            • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Go live in your manufactured world that cops are dealing out fair and unbias judgement against citizens. If you need me to show you where it says they are allowed to give you a dui without you failing a breathilizer/ blood test I can

    • bluGill@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Murder is not near the problem of driving. Few people murder, but many have accidents.