Judge throws out Baker's plea bargain sentence

I feel that so many people have been effected by the cause of drunk driving, there is no excuse. Its about resonsibility and common sense. It is sooo tragic to see the loss of a loved one, however I cant help but ask, how many lives will have to be lost for people to realize they are not the only ones on the road. Selfishness and irresponsibility is the cause of this tragic story. I feel the the family and friends that have lost their loved ones.

They were drugged and drunk. They share responsibility. Sucked to be them. Sucks to be their parents. But it is the truth.

you are an idiot, you would not be making these comments if you had any of this happen to someone you know.

Having known a majority of the people in the car that night, I have to say I am not surprised an accident occurred. It is a sad and unfortunate thing, and my heart goes out to the families. No one should ever lose a child in such a horrific manner. Growing up in Ferndale I noticed that a lot of parents would turn a blind eye to teenage partying... and some would go as far as supplying the alcohol (which I am not suggesting in ANY way happened that night). I felt that it would be only a matter of time before someone would get killed or injured. Unfortunately it ended up happening. In a way I feel that it is a wake up call to all the parents in the area. Teenage drinking is an epidemic in this sleepy little town. I feel that the first step to healing the wounds is education. This case has touched the lives of many and it is an opportunity for education to manifest itself. Cody Baker was repeatedly ticketed for driving under the influence, and the others in the car were not strangers to the party scene. Punishing Cody to the full extent possible only seems right. Regardless of whether or not people chose to get in the car Cody was a ticking time bomb. He had multiple times to straighten out, he didn't and it cost people their lives and broke the hearts of many families. Let his example be a lessen to everyone.

The last poster writes from knowledge and with understanding. I hope all the apologists for Cody read and reread that post until it sinks in that denial of responsibility is the cause of pain and suffering.

Jahons Pink wrote:

<quoted text>
So, on the one hand, you excuse the intelligence diminishing effect of drunken behavior by NOT holding Baker’s friends accountable for their flawed decision to get in the car with Baker because they were drunk and not in their right mind. Yet, on the other hand, using your same logic, you say it is unacceptable for Baker to make the same type of flawed decision because he was not sober.
And you accuse me of defending Baker ? Think about what you are saying !

Sure, it is stupid to get in a car with someone you know is drunk. Now that this is said, it is quite a bit different than being the person behind the wheel of a vehicle and killing people. It is not a crime to get into a car, it is a crime to get into a car as the driver when you are drunk.
Perhaps you should look a career as a politician, you seem good at twisting a story.

Finally someone does the right thing....cody baker deserves life in prision.

If we still lived by,"an eye for an eye" most of us would be totally blind!

Enonymous wrote:

Lindsey Lohan worked at the morgue and emergency room as part of her sentencing due to misdemeanor drunken driving, perhaps a lifetime service with death related accidents might even the odds.

Love to give Lindsay Lohan a bare bottom spanking for her sentence.

I am so incredibly sad about this whole thing - lives ended and ruined, anger and finger-pointing on all sides. I hope that the families of those killed will eventually find some peace (whatever that can be). They are not at fault and shame on many of you for blaming them. Teenagers and young adults make stupid decisions sometimes (about all kinds of things - not just drinking), and sometimes they pay the ultimate price. Cody also made a horrific decision and will have to live with that forever. I personally feel that pleading guilty to manslaughter and drunk driving, and accepting 10+ years in prison was accepting responsiblity, and was a fair sentence. After serving his time, I too felt he could be a voice that kids would listen to and could serve best by going to all the high schools to share his tragic story. I went to Ferndale High and we all drank and partied, so there but for the grace of God goes me and everyone I grew up with... I will not be throwing stones from this glass house! I pray for everyone involved in this tragedy.

Feds: Teen use of pot can lead to dependency, mental illness By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer
Fri May 9, 7:00 AM ET

WASHINGTON - Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released Friday.

A teen who has been depressed at some point in the past year is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have not reported being depressed — 25 percent compared with 12 percent, said the report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Marijuana is a more consequential substance of abuse than our culture has treated it in the last 20 years," said John Walters, director of the office. "This is not just youthful experimentation that they'll get over as we used to think in the past."

Smoking marijuana can lead to more serious problems, Walters said in an interview.

For example, using marijuana increases the risk of developing mental disorders by 40 percent, the report said. And teens who smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than nonusers, it said.

The report also cited research that showed that teens who smoke marijuana when feeling depressed were more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become addicted to pot — 8 percent compared with 3 percent.

Experts who have worked with children say there's nothing harmless about marijuana.

"I've seen many, many kids' lives negatively impacted and taken off track because of marijuana," said Elizabeth Stanley-Salazar, director of adolescent services for Phoenix House treatment centers in California. "It's somewhat Russian roulette. There are so many factors, emotional, psychological, biological. You can't predict the experimentation and how it will impact a kid."

The drug control policy office analyzed about a dozen studies looking at marijuana use, including research by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Walters appealed to parents to recognize signs of possible drug use and depression.

"It's not something you look the other way about when your teen starts appearing careless about their grooming, withdrawing from the family, losing interest in daily activities," Walters said. "Find out what's wrong."

Thats the best thing i have heard in a long time!
Im so sick of repeat offenders and people who break the law always getting ridiculously low sentences. Esp. when lives have been lost because of their careless actions. 10 years and 8 months would most definitly be an insult to the young lives lost and their families.

I certainly hope he gets what he deserves. Anything less than 25years is an insult. He might not like where he's going to be living but at least he IS alive. Unlike he's victims.

With that said, theres a lesson to be learnt here. Yes Baker is to blame but the victims turned a blind eye to him drinking and speeding. I know peope who have driven drunk or gotten in cars with people who have been drinking and think nothing of it. I know young people do sometime mess around speeding/racing etc esp. when with friends because its 'fun' but this case proves that can really go wrong..As young people we should really think about the decisions we make

Ferndale High Grad wrote:

I am so incredibly sad about this whole thing - lives ended and ruined, anger and finger-pointing on all sides. I hope that the families of those killed will eventually find some peace (whatever that can be). They are not at fault and shame on many of you for blaming them. Teenagers and young adults make stupid decisions sometimes (about all kinds of things - not just drinking), and sometimes they pay the ultimate price. Cody also made a horrific decision and will have to live with that forever. I personally feel that pleading guilty to manslaughter and drunk driving, and accepting 10+ years in prison was accepting responsiblity, and was a fair sentence. After serving his time, I too felt he could be a voice that kids would listen to and could serve best by going to all the high schools to share his tragic story. I went to Ferndale High and we all drank and partied, so there but for the grace of God goes me and everyone I grew up with... I will not be throwing stones from this glass house! I pray for everyone involved in this tragedy.

Accepting a plea isnt accepting responsibility. Its bargaining for a lesser sentence. Ofcourse he doesnt want to go to jail. Its not a particularly nice place! but when you break the law, thats the price you pay.

As for when he comes out of prison, he's not going to help anybody and we all know that. He is a repeat offender who already had a DUI charge and a driving ban before this happened. Did he learn his lesson? he sure as hell didnt. And had he done so, these kids would still be alive.
Im all for giving people second chances and do hope he repents but actions speak so much louder than words and his actions killed four people. enough said.

Here's a bit of a different take on the situation. If these kids had been able to have their party at the Palace this might not have occured. Several court dates were voided after this event. If you think you are going to jail for a while on drug charges you might think a final bender prior to that is rational. To do that they had to go way out in the country. Which means driving. And if you were about to go to court, you don't want to be caught driving. So you grab the person that SEEMS the most sober and is not due in court, to drive into town to get more beer etc. Remember, everybody is wasted in this scenerio so their judgement is terrible. It doesn't make Cody's action right, but it does explain the incident. I wonder at some of the hate swirling around a man most of you never met. Do you hate Senator Kennedy in the same manner? Or is there a certain number of people that have to die when a drunk driver goes into the water?