What does this tell our society about drinking and driving? Pretty much that you can party hard and kill someone and not have to worry about doing the time that fits the crime.
What is it going to take to save over 20,000 people a year to drunk drivers?! It's going to take judges with some sort of a brain and understanding of human nature (people will continue with bad behaviors if they know they can get away with it). Who the FU*K knows. All I know is someone else WILL die from a drunk driver because they saw first hand that TROY HOVEY got away with MURDER because an incompetent judge (Robert Glusman) doesn't have the balls to punish someone properly. Maybe he got "paid off" ... you have to wonder at this point.
DUI Victim: Amit Tandon
32, Husband and Expectant Father
I honestly feel like the justice system and judges like Robert Glusman are protecting criminals, not our citizens. It's like they feel so sorry for the criminal and yet there is an endless trail of family members of the victim that will spend the rest of their lives suffering because they A) lost someone for nothing and B) the person who killed their family member (for the sake of getting drunk) got away with murder. They also have to live with knowing others will feel this pain unnecessarily because decisions made by judges like Robert Glusman are working against what MADD and other organizations and anti-dui individuals have been fighting decades for.
Thank you for listening,
An Angry Uncle
(who is awaiting justice on a 18 year old college student that was also murdered by an idiotic drunk driver this year)
Amit Justice Blog
News Blog Link
NEWS ARTICLE:
Drunken driver placed on probation for fatal crash
By TERRY VAU DELL - Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/16/2008 12:00:00 AM PDT
OROVILLE -- An intoxicated motorist, who caused the death of a popular Chico caterer while driving the wrong way on Highway 99, was Wednesday placed on probation and given 180 days in jail.
Calling it a "difficult and heart-wrenching" case, Butte County Superior Court Judge Robert Glusman noted Troy Lee Hovey, 37, had no prior criminal record and was actively seeking help for an alcohol problem at the time of the crash.
In a letter to the court asking that Hovey get the maximum of 10 years in prison, the pregnant widow of Amit Tandon, the deceased caterer, charged the defendant had "murdered" her husband and deprived their unborn son of a father.
Deputy district attorney Glenn Jennings also took issue with probation in the case, saying it would send the wrong message.
The prosecutor pointed out the former sprint car racing driver had nearly three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system. According to witnesses, he was going between 60 to 80 mph on The Esplanade when he failed to negotiate a sharp curve, crashed through a wooden barrier and started driving northbound in the southbound lane on Highway 99 about 9 p.m. Aug. 6.
After reportedly forcing one car off the road, the wrong-way driver collided head-on with Tandon's catering truck.
Tandon, 32, owner of Guzzetti's Catering and Indian Food, was killed. A second motorist driving behind him suffered minor injuries.
The judge Wednesday recalled having purchased food from Tandon at the Thursday
Night Market, and remembered him as being very friendly. But based on letters from friends and relatives, the motorist who killed him was also highly regarded, Glusman noted.
Last month, Hovey had pleaded no contest to a felony charge of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with more than .08 percent of alcohol in his system, which could have carried from four to 10 years in prison.
At his sentencing Wednesday, defense attorney Jodea Foster contended Hovey rarely drank prior to gastric-bypass surgery last year to control his overeating. Following the operation, Foster said his client began substituting alcohol for food as an addiction.
Realizing he had a problem, Hovey had twice voluntarily admitted himself for treatment at Enloe's Behavioral Health Clinic and was in outpatient care at the time of the fatality, the defense attorney noted.
In a letter he sent to the widow of the man he killed, Hovey expressed deep remorse. "I have no excuses," he said, adding he only wished his words would somehow lessen the family's pain.
At Wednesday's sentencing, a victim-witness advocate said the caterer's widow, who is due to give birth in December, feared the stress of facing Hovey in court, and asked that a written statement be read to the judge.
"Troy Hovey is a murderer. ... He not only murdered my husband, he also murdered my dreams," Deepika Tandon wrote.
Asking that Hovey receive the maximum time in prison, the victim's widow added: "You stole a wonderful man not only from his family, but the entire community. ... He touched so many lives. He made Chico a better place to live."
Glusman found the statement "moving and eloquent" and said, "My heart goes out to her."
The judge pointed out he had presided over the DUI calendar, and often had "sentenced harshly." But the fact probation has not been prohibited in vehicular manslaughter cases indicates the Legislature wants judges to examine each case on its merits, Glusman said.
Given Hovey's lack of a prior criminal record or history of alcohol offenses, coupled with his obvious remorse and desire to overcome his current drinking problem, the judge said he fully expects the Chico man will "embrace recovery."
"I know this won't happen again," the judge added.
The Chico father of two was placed on three years probation and sentenced to 180 days in jail, though the county Probation Department has discretion to release him to an in-patient treatment facility.
The defendant also must complete a nine-month DUI school, install an anti-alcohol interlocking device on his vehicle and will lose his license for one year.
"If I find you're drinking, I'll be the last person you want to see," the judge warned the defendant.
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To the citizens and leaders of Butte County:
(from a customer of Amit Tandon)
What is it going to take for Chico to finally admit it has a drinking problem?
The Chico ER, police chief Hagerty, and University president Paul Zingg all failed to admit the alcoholic source of the riots euphemistically referred to over the weekend as a “ruckus.” Now we have Superior Court Judge Robert Glusman’s inexcusably insignificant sentence of intoxicated driver Troy Hovey for killing Amit Tandon: 180 days jail (maybe) and three years probation.
Judge Glusman’s sentence represents our community’s estimation of the value of the innocent life that was taken. I, for one, believe life is more precious than that, and that Amit Tandon, a beloved Farmer’s Market vendor, caterer, husband and expectant father, deserved more respect from us.
Judge Glusman’s sentence reveals our community’s unhealthy attitude to alcohol and substance abuse.
Homicide by alcohol is treated as a minor offense. The innocent lives lost are acceptable consequences of our recklessly selfish pursuit of pleasure - unless and until we or our loved ones are affected. Troy Hovey was treated like a victim of his own crime, and the family of Amit Tandon was further victimized by the court.
What saddens me and frightens me is that Amit Tandon’s homicide obviously doesn’t matter to a society purported to value human life and a justice system charged with protecting the innocent and defending human and civil rights.
From an angry citizen who has seen many lives lost to drunk drivers.
I was a friend of Amit's and his death has been absolutely devastating. The slap on a wrist of a sentence that Troy Hovey received was like having Amit die a second time.
ReplyDeleteTroy Hovey is a murderer and he will be home before Christmas meanwhile Deepika Tandon will never be able to see her husband again and their child will never get to know how wonderful his father was.
WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE!? How many more must die before there is change? How can someone who so recklessly takes a like get away with 180 days in jail and probation? and how many of those who have had the unmitigated gall to defend Troy Hovey would be defending him if it was their loved one who was so brutally and tragically murdered? 20,000 and counting every year...when will it stop?
It is a travisty that Hovey was allowed to be free. I grew up in Chico. There is a huge problem with drinking and driving. I moved away 8 years ago,it seems things have not changed. i went to High school with Troy. As i remember it he was a drinker then as well. I read the comments in the local paper and someone else has said the same. Sure we all weren't angels growing up in the town with the #1 party college. But I remember him coming to school under the influence. I also remember one of my friends hooking up with him at a party where he roughed her up a little as well. This man has not just recently had a problem with drinking, as the things I witnessed happened in the early 90's. This makes me sick! How could a judge do this? Makes me wonder if there isn't something fishy going on. How can this happen,it is a total injustace to the victim,his wife, unborn son and all of his family and friends.Not only was Hovey reckless so was the judge and the sentence. Let us all pray he never gets behind the wheel wasted again! Signed, Disgusted In Tahoe
ReplyDeleteTroy Hovey is a drunk, who was represented by a drunk, attorney Jodea Foster has two DUI's, and Judge Glusman is a cold hearted a--hole.
ReplyDeleteI drove down a Chico street today and came upon Amit's business. I drove in to the parking lot and saw an empty building with a van outside that had the business name and Amit's name and number. I then realized how sad it was, this poor man worked so hard to build his own business to provide for his family, then this low life drunk, Troy Hovey of Chico, came along and destroyed everything.
ReplyDeleteFuck Judge Glusman. He is by far the worst judge in Butte County. Something needs to be done. For a judge his judgement is terrible. Not only is he too lenient in these drunk driving cases but hes too firm in violation cases. A young man was recently sentenced to 5 years in prison by Glusman for being drunk downtown on Halloween. Not drunk and driving. Not drunk and disorderly. His probation officer happened to be driving by and recognized him, picked him up and took him in. And Judge Glusman gave this young man 5 years in prison. I can't help but wonder how a piece of shit like him sleeps at night. We need to get him out of here and bring some justice to Butte County.
ReplyDelete