Baker takes the stand in his murder trial

This is such a sad story.

I hope Baker is found guilty.

This quote makes me sick!! The sad part is, its true.

"Growing up with this group of friends, as sad as it is, drinking and driving isn't that frowned upon. One way or another, someone would have gotten behind the wheel to get them to the destination.”

It almost seems that getting a DUI is some kind of right of passage into becoming an adult!!

This one crash took the lives of 4 young people and changed the lives of 100's.

I hope Baker will show all the young (and old) people out there that this IS what really happens when you drive drunk.

I hope Ferndale schools and parents realize that binge drinking is part of the high school culture there and that they seriously attempt to reverse it. The rate of beer and marijuana abuse by many kids in the high school is unacceptable. Little is done by the high school counselors to connect with and support high school students who "don't get" school. Hazing and bullying behaviors openly exist and are not addressed. Everybody is proud of the football team. There is more to life than playing football. The school and community should support and guide their youth to develop goals in life beyond football...

How can X Eureka Zoo Kid be so cruel, Cody JUMP!? Cody has to live each and everyday of his life without his four friends, just as their family members are.
He will pay the price and perhaps be an "advocate" against drinking and driving someday. This happens everything in the country, not just Humboldt County.
My oldest son loss a dear friend on Fernbridge his freshman year of high school. This accident wasn't the first, Cody's won't be the last.
It is up to each and every parent to talk to their children about drinking and driving, not the fault of Ferndale HS teachers nor coaching staff. Our children must live by example.
Blessing to each and everyone involved, including Cody.

I believe that having to live with the fact that this young man has killed three of his best friends is punishment enough. My heart goes out to him, as well as the families of the victims. I think Mr. Baker's punishment should be to educate the local high schools of the dangers of such activity. We can use this horrible event to make a change in the current system.

Eureka82 had a good point. "It is almost as if getting a DUI is a right of passage to becoming an adult" and its not just in Ferndale. Its at least county wide. Let's make a change before more kids die...

A good lesson to teach the youth is to not ride in a car with an adult drunken bum, who will probbly kill you, then cry and snivel in court that he felt just fine after 12 or more beers... Guilty: Murder of 4 people.

Alginon wrote:

A good lesson to teach the youth is to not ride in a car with an adult drunken bum, who will probbly kill you, then cry and snivel in court that he felt just fine after 12 or more beers... Guilty: Murder of 4 people.

that is horrible. If he wasn't crying you would say he had a heart of stone or something. What do you want him to do. I have known Cody for a long time and believe me living is punishment. those where his best friends and if any of you knew them they would have drove if he didnt. Lets all be honest here. We have all done things we regret.

The whole thing is just sad.

I remember sitting in the prep rallies with the special "guest" speaker talking about their 'experience'. I remember thinking, "Why aren't you in jail or prison? Why did you think you were okay to drive? You already had a DUI?!?" I have a feeling some of my peers were thinking, "Okay, he got away with it, maybe I can too." Sorry, but I don't think he has any business speaking with our students. He is not a victim.

Sam was trying to get respect back, our youth today need that in their lives. Maybe if he was able to do his job, all of the youth involved would have respected their own lives and said no to Cody. Things have to turn around at Ferndale High. Read recall article.

Wow. Almost every trail of my friends leads to someone having a DUI. They are very common. My family and friends are very good about arranging rides when we go out. The fact is, though, when you feel invincible and have a "Don't give a care" whatever kind of attitude, you get behind the wheel with a bunch of people cheering you on. The people in the car knew he had been drinking. His testimony was that he was the most in control. If he didn't drive, he would be one of the dead ones. These people didn't care about themselves or anyone else. What if they hit a family coming around the corner. My family! I know what this is about because I made many mistakes when I was much younger, and now I see that I drank and drove because I didn't care about myself. I think I wanted to die. These young people need to be reminded every year, and they will be, about the dangers of drinking and driving. Every single year someone is killed, and the reason is all the kids think it couldn't happen to them. Well maybe it won't and you will be like me and never get a DUI but there will be consequences to disregarding human life and this young man will spend the rest of his miserable life showing everyone around him how this epidemic of drinking among young people is ruining so many lives. I want them all to find something else to do, but I didn't have anything better to do when I was in HS. I don't have the answers, but I know that I will care enough about my kids to diligently educate them about the common rites of passage in our culture of excess.

Alginon wrote:

A good lesson to teach the youth is to not ride in a car with an adult drunken bum, who will probbly kill you, then cry and snivel in court that he felt just fine after 12 or more beers... Guilty: Murder of 4 people.

hey good idea, Why didnt these parents teach these kids about doing coke, pot, shots, and getting in car with a guy who had 12 BEERS IN 10 HOURS. Give him a little credit he didnt do the coke or the pot. Maybe he did feel like he was sober to drive. He had not drank for two frigen hours before to took them to go looking for another party. If he was in such a party mode how come he declined all the dope they passed around, and had stopped drinking for the night two hours earlier? Be truthful now.

Dream World wrote:

Wow. Almost every trail of my friends leads to someone having a DUI. They are very common. My family and friends are very good about arranging rides when we go out. The fact is, though, when you feel invincible and have a "Don't give a care" whatever kind of attitude, you get behind the wheel with a bunch of people cheering you on. The people in the car knew he had been drinking. His testimony was that he was the most in control. If he didn't drive, he would be one of the dead ones. These people didn't care about themselves or anyone else. What if they hit a family coming around the corner. My family! I know what this is about because I made many mistakes when I was much younger, and now I see that I drank and drove because I didn't care about myself. I think I wanted to die. These young people need to be reminded every year, and they will be, about the dangers of drinking and driving. Every single year someone is killed, and the reason is all the kids think it couldn't happen to them. Well maybe it won't and you will be like me and never get a DUI but there will be consequences to disregarding human life and this young man will spend the rest of his miserable life showing everyone around him how this epidemic of drinking among young people is ruining so many lives. I want them all to find something else to do, but I didn't have anything better to do when I was in HS. I don't have the answers, but I know that I will care enough about my kids to diligently educate them about the common rites of passage in our culture of excess.

RIGHT ON FINALLY someone tells the truth...

If he had quit drinking for hours why was he a .23 BAC when he wrecked? Maybe he's lying to cover his
behind. Was he also just being considerate when he was driving his wife to the Dr. in 2003 at 8AM went he wrecked at 118mph and was sited for his first D.U.I. and felony evading. He really learned from that. First time a mistake, second time ignorance.

Be truthful wrote:

<quoted text> hey good idea, Why didnt these parents teach these kids about doing coke, pot, shots, and getting in car with a guy who had 12 BEERS IN 10 HOURS. Give him a little credit he didnt do the coke or the pot. Maybe he did feel like he was sober to drive. He had not drank for two frigen hours before to took them to go looking for another party. If he was in such a party mode how come he declined all the dope they passed around, and had stopped drinking for the night two hours earlier? Be truthful now.

Conclusion: This cretin couldn't self-regulate. It doesn't matter whether he had 12 beers or 12 bowls and supplemented his high with coke or crank or smack. If he's severely under the influence and driving, that's a HUGE problem. You want to give him credit for what? Not getting more trashed?

He needs to pay an enormous price for his stupidity.

Poeple need to know that he didn't mean to "kill" his friends! You make it sound like he was a murder who just put a gun to their heads and killed them. i knew all those kids and he just happen to be the less drunk one that offered to drive because others were more drunk and would have if he didn't. So please stop being so rude! He has to live everyday knowing that he lost some of hes closest friends because of him! Thats punishment enough on that topic but he does deserve charges on drinking and driving but not murder or manslaughter. You have to murder some one to be a murder, in this case he didn't murder anyone. they chose to get in the car its not like her forced them. So stop taking it out on him and just be fortunate that some survived and that he will never do it again and other kids have learned from his mistake.

It's a sad story no matter what side you're on, too many kids getting into these wrecks, and worse yet, people who arent drinking getting killed because they got hit by a drunk driver. It doesnt matter if he hadn't drank anything 2 hours or 2 minutes before he drove those kids, his BAC doesn't lie. And he said himself "driving drunk isn't frowned upon" he knew he was drunk, he may have thought he was less drunk, but drunk nonetheless. He killed kids, and those families have to deal with the loss of their children. He may be hurting "having to deal with what he did" but he should have to deal with it in prison, where you pay the price for the crimes you commit. Nobody at a highschool wants to hear a sob story from some alcoholic who killed 4 of his friends, I would rather hear from the Diamond kid who got into a car with a drunk driver, I would like to hear what he learned and have him teach students about the dangers of getting into the vehicle with someone who has been drinking all day. Cody may be sorry, and I believe he is, but what he did is unforgivable, and the punishment should fit the crime.

and a message to "forgive" would you feel the same way about "he doesnt deserve the murder charges" if one of the kids in the car was your only child? If you lost a kid in that accident would you be so quick to "forgive" FOUR people DIED that day because of HIS ignorance, that's involuntary manslaughter no matter how you slice it.

Ernie wrote:

<quoted text>
Conclusion: This cretin couldn't self-regulate. It doesn't matter whether he had 12 beers or 12 bowls and supplemented his high with coke or crank or smack. If he's severely under the influence and driving, that's a HUGE problem. You want to give him credit for what? Not getting more trashed?
He needs to pay an enormous price for his stupidity.

You people do not know the truth his blood level was checked 3 times the night of the wreck the first 2 times were within .5 different readings.?? So they had to take it a 3rd time and came up with .17.(Check it out if you want the truth) Then Codys attorney ask for his own reading on the same sample and now its .11. This is the difference in this case you rant and rave about his intoxication. Im sorry if you believe everything you read. By the way paying for stupidity is different than paying for 2nd degree murder. Might want to check out the difference

In response to "Do the math", Cody didn't wreck in the Dec. 03 incident. That aside it is blatantly obvious to me the someone in Cody's situation as well as the lost souls who were with him at the time, had far greater issues than drinking and drugs. The question is, "what life circumstances made them feel the need to turn to such a reckless lifestyle?" Each being that night put themselves in a dangerous situation, as so many of us do every night. Cody will now pay for what he has done for the rest of his life. He needs help and support not prison. Maybe if the kids who were killed had that in their lives they wouldn't have been in the car that night. Judgment is not for us to cast. I have resisted commenting here for a long time, however all the pettiness and judgment making has become unbearable. With that said, my heart is with the families who have lost a loved one, as well as with Cody who was left behind in this Hell.

Forgive wrote:

Poeple need to know that he didn't mean to "kill" his friends! You make it sound like he was a murder who just put a gun to their heads and killed them. i knew all those kids and he just happen to be the less drunk one that offered to drive because others were more drunk and would have if he didn't. So please stop being so rude! He has to live everyday knowing that he lost some of hes closest friends because of him! Thats punishment enough on that topic but he does deserve charges on drinking and driving but not murder or manslaughter. You have to murder some one to be a murder, in this case he didn't murder anyone. they chose to get in the car its not like her forced them. So stop taking it out on him and just be fortunate that some survived and that he will never do it again and other kids have learned from his mistake.

You can not make people have compassion when they are not capable. When hearts are hard and full of their own guilt you cannot reach out to them. No matter what you say. If these victims could talk from the grave they would be ashamed of how there families and friend have reacted.