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submitted 1 year ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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.”

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[-] lukzak@lemmy.ml 288 points 1 year ago

Damn Texas. Sometimes you do manage to do something right.

[-] Bipta@kbin.social 105 points 1 year ago

This just seems like theater. What if you disable the parents such that they can't support their kid? You slip through?

[-] gravalicious@lemmy.world 118 points 1 year ago

It's theater. People go to prison for intoxication manslaughter. How are they making money to pay for child support? What kind of job will they really get after getting out of prison for essentially murder?

[-] radix@lemmy.world 104 points 1 year ago

A cynical person might even say this is an attempt by the state and insurance companies to justify not having any sort of security net for victims' families. If one person can be held financially responsible for the kids, why should anyone else have to step in?

[-] snooggums@kbin.social 50 points 1 year ago

That is exactly what it is, aimed at drunk drivers first because everyone will be on board with that demographic first. Then it will be expanded over time.

[-] radix@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -- H.L. Mencken

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Like how your insurance doesn't work if you get hurt on the job?

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this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2023
1605 points (99.1% liked)

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