On May 30, 2017 RC Sproul Jr appeared before Judge Frances C. Gull in Allen County Indiana Drug Court to determine his eligibility for the Drug Court Treatment Program. Had he qualified and successfully completed all the requirements of the Drug Court Treatment Program he could have avoided a criminal trial altogether. He might have even qualified to have his criminal record expunged.
However, as we noted previously, Drug Court only applies to misdemeanor charges. Being charged with two felonies, on top of the two misdemeanors, was an instant disqualification. So in our view petitioning to have his case referred to Drug Court had the appearance of an act of desperation.
Not only had RC Sproul Jr decided to get drunk and then drive, he decided to do so after placing his two minor children with him into the car (none of that was news to us -- he's been doing all that for years). Driving drunk with two minors netted him two felony charges, and they are the kind of charges which any judge takes very seriously, including Drug Court judges. As we predicted would happen, the two felony charges disqualified RC Sproul Jr from having his case referred to Drug Court.
So what's next for RC Spoul Jr? A criminal jury trial is scheduled to convene on June 6, 2017. Just prior to that on June 2 will be a Status Hearing before the trial Judge Wendy Davis. In all likelihood RC Sproul Jr's trial will be delayed while his attorney, Patrick Justin Arata, puts in various motions and does some last minute scrambling to put on the best possible case. Perhaps Mr. Arata might also depose the arresting officer.
As bleak as things appear to be for RC Sproul Jr it's likely his attorney will try to work out a plea deal to avoid the criminal trial. To do that RC Sproul Jr will have to plead guilty to one or two lesser charges in exchange for the prosecutor dropping the felony charges. Ideally Mr. Arata might get the Prosecutor to drop the felony charges. However, we're doubtful Prosecutor Karen Richards will go for that kind of deal. The risk of a public backlash, to her as an elected official, is too great.
Drunk driving with kids in the car is the sort of case that has too much likelihood of receiving local press attention, all the more so when the drunk is a preacher. When it comes to putting the lives of children so egregiously in danger it takes very little to ignite public outrage. Whether it be young or old, left or right, liberal or conservative, religious or non-religious, everyone cares deeply about the welfare of children. Those who put the lives of children in mortal danger easily earn the ire of the public. No Prosecutor wants to suffer a public backlash for being perceived as having gone soft on someone whom the public would hold in the highest of contempt.
What's especially remarkable about this case, and therefore makes it even more newsworthy, is that RC Sproul Jr is a well-known and very public spokesman for the Pro-Life movement. He's even raised a lot of money for various pro-life causes. RC Sproul Jr has characterized abortion as a terrible form of violence and a "holocaust" against the pre-born. Yet at the same time he treats his own children with total disregard for their safety, as though their lives had no value.
Drunk driving is a very serious problem that results in many thousands of deaths annually on America's highways, and many more thousands serious injuries, often resulting in permanent disability. Ironically when a drunk winds up killing and maiming others, she or he quite often walks away with few if any injuries. The general consensus of anyone who has been affected by a drunk driver is that they deserve to be imprisoned for many years. That's certainly the consensus of MADD, the largest anti-drunk driving organization in the country.
Unfortunately, drunk driving is so commonplace that the courts in many counties are literally overwhelmed with DUI cases. To cope with the case load the system, quite often, gives first and even second-time DUI offenders a break -- they get no jail time, provided they didn't crash and injure anyone. Much of the public disagrees with this and views no jail time for drunk drivers as a grave injustice. In their view drunk drivers are carnage on wheels, and it's only a matter of time before they kill and maim. No one should have to die before they get locked up.
Any jury that RC Sproul Jr stands before is likely to be comprised of citizens who hold to such views. He's going to have a very tough sell.
However, as we noted previously, Drug Court only applies to misdemeanor charges. Being charged with two felonies, on top of the two misdemeanors, was an instant disqualification. So in our view petitioning to have his case referred to Drug Court had the appearance of an act of desperation.
Not only had RC Sproul Jr decided to get drunk and then drive, he decided to do so after placing his two minor children with him into the car (none of that was news to us -- he's been doing all that for years). Driving drunk with two minors netted him two felony charges, and they are the kind of charges which any judge takes very seriously, including Drug Court judges. As we predicted would happen, the two felony charges disqualified RC Sproul Jr from having his case referred to Drug Court.
So what's next for RC Spoul Jr? A criminal jury trial is scheduled to convene on June 6, 2017. Just prior to that on June 2 will be a Status Hearing before the trial Judge Wendy Davis. In all likelihood RC Sproul Jr's trial will be delayed while his attorney, Patrick Justin Arata, puts in various motions and does some last minute scrambling to put on the best possible case. Perhaps Mr. Arata might also depose the arresting officer.
As bleak as things appear to be for RC Sproul Jr it's likely his attorney will try to work out a plea deal to avoid the criminal trial. To do that RC Sproul Jr will have to plead guilty to one or two lesser charges in exchange for the prosecutor dropping the felony charges. Ideally Mr. Arata might get the Prosecutor to drop the felony charges. However, we're doubtful Prosecutor Karen Richards will go for that kind of deal. The risk of a public backlash, to her as an elected official, is too great.
Drunk driving with kids in the car is the sort of case that has too much likelihood of receiving local press attention, all the more so when the drunk is a preacher. When it comes to putting the lives of children so egregiously in danger it takes very little to ignite public outrage. Whether it be young or old, left or right, liberal or conservative, religious or non-religious, everyone cares deeply about the welfare of children. Those who put the lives of children in mortal danger easily earn the ire of the public. No Prosecutor wants to suffer a public backlash for being perceived as having gone soft on someone whom the public would hold in the highest of contempt.
What's especially remarkable about this case, and therefore makes it even more newsworthy, is that RC Sproul Jr is a well-known and very public spokesman for the Pro-Life movement. He's even raised a lot of money for various pro-life causes. RC Sproul Jr has characterized abortion as a terrible form of violence and a "holocaust" against the pre-born. Yet at the same time he treats his own children with total disregard for their safety, as though their lives had no value.
Drunk driving is a very serious problem that results in many thousands of deaths annually on America's highways, and many more thousands serious injuries, often resulting in permanent disability. Ironically when a drunk winds up killing and maiming others, she or he quite often walks away with few if any injuries. The general consensus of anyone who has been affected by a drunk driver is that they deserve to be imprisoned for many years. That's certainly the consensus of MADD, the largest anti-drunk driving organization in the country.
Unfortunately, drunk driving is so commonplace that the courts in many counties are literally overwhelmed with DUI cases. To cope with the case load the system, quite often, gives first and even second-time DUI offenders a break -- they get no jail time, provided they didn't crash and injure anyone. Much of the public disagrees with this and views no jail time for drunk drivers as a grave injustice. In their view drunk drivers are carnage on wheels, and it's only a matter of time before they kill and maim. No one should have to die before they get locked up.
Any jury that RC Sproul Jr stands before is likely to be comprised of citizens who hold to such views. He's going to have a very tough sell.
This post first appeared on Spinderella Sproul: Lessons In Spin With Spinmeist, please read the originial post: here
