The Traverso Sentence

A lot of folks are pissed off about Michele Traverso's sentence of 364 days plus 2 years probation for the hit-and-run death of Aaron Cohen on the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Unfortunately, our system of justice does not allow for a sentence to be based on the quality of life of the victim versus the perpetrator. If it did, Traverso would never see the light of day again.

Fortunately, our system of justice depends upon being able to prove things like whether or not Traverso was actually driving drunk. I say fortunately because it's important to note that the same system that, in a sense, let Traverso off because there was insufficient proof of a particular crime, i.e. driving drunk, can work for each one of us should we ever find ourselves wrongly accused of something. Just ask Carlos Miller how that works. But yeah, the whole thing still sucks.

Traverso may have been drunk that night. We'll never know for certain. But because there wasn't sufficient proof, his idiocy only constituted a little more than "leaving the scene of an accident." And while the quality of Aaron Cohen's life that was ended by Traverso demanded and deserved so much more of Traverso's life, our criminal justice dictates otherwise.

Folks are talking about writing Tallahassee or calling the State Attorney's Office. I have a couple better ideas. One, next time you're on I-95 or Biscayne Boulevard or, better yet, the Rickenbacker Causeway, pay attention to your driving. Put down the phone, stop the tweeting, quit fiddling with the radio and drive.

And two, when you're out on the town and having a lot of fun and drinking and you're at the point where you think you've had a little too much and you're reaching in your pocket or purse for your keys...call a cab or a friend.

When you do that, remember Traverso...but don't forget about Aaron.

Don't ever forget about Aaron.

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