Prosecutions should use a bigger stick

OUR OPINION
Published: June 23, 2008

Late last year, some Manassas teenagers thought it would be fun to throw objects on the highway with the goal of causing car accidents.

They put tree limbs, a tire, a boulder, children’s toys and other things on Prince William Parkway between Lucasville and Nokesville Road. This “fun” caused thousands of dollars in damage to multiple
cars and caused minor injuries in at least one car accident.

Now, we may have a strange idea of fun, but we don’t think that putting people’s lives at risk for entertainment is a good time. Perhaps we are old fashioned. In fact, it seems to this newspaper that such
actions show an amoral lack of concern for the welfare of other human beings. 

Some teens suspected of initiating this hazardous, adult version of bumper cars, were arrested. Thursday, one of them, Michael David Fuller, 18, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. But those had
been amended from his original charges — five felony counts of destruction of property.

We wish the prosecution could have stuck the felonies on him rather than downgrading the penalty.

The acts committed by Fuller, and possibly by his friends, bring to mind the “droogs” in the 1971 film “A Clockwork Orange,” and the joy they received from inflicting pain on others. Misdemeanors simply
do not meet the seriousness of Fuller’s actions.

Other teens possibly involved in the incident must still go before the court. If they are guilty, we hope that the prosecution can find something more serious than misdemeanors alone to tie to them.

People might tune in to NASCAR for the possibility of seeing metal thrashing against metal, and they may watch police chases on the news in anticipation of the tragic, sometimes fiery, end. But, when

the line is crossed from spectator to initiator, the penalty must be severe.