To the editor:
It is with admiration for justice that I write in response to Sen. Michael Dean Crapo’s drunk-driving charge (“Senator sentenced after pleading guilty to drunk driving,” January 10), for which he was sentenced after pleading guilty January 4. After reading this article, I was pleased to see that Judge Becky Moore sentenced Crapo with the same penalties given to every other individual charged with drunk driving in the commonwealth of Virginia.
So often it seems that members of Congress — or those that hold positions of power — are provided with privileges and advantages unavailable to others. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 28,162 people were convicted of a DUI in 2011. As a result, these individuals were disciplined by the laws and faced the consequences created by political leaders. However, many of these leaders have the idea that their power and position put them above these laws and leave them immune to the punishments.
As a fellow resident of Virginia, it is reassuring to learn that Moore looked to the laws of the state when deciding the fate of Crapo, rather than his position of power within the U.S. government. Judicial officials such as Moore provide hope and reassurance that despite one’s position of power or rank in society, justice may still be served.
– Hayley D’Antuono
Alexandria