Editorials

Editorial: Scales of justice must be fixed after fatal sentencing

It’s a sad state of affairs when someone who admits to causing a death while driving under the influence of drugs is sentenced to just six months in jail.

The 57-year-old victim, Steven Kane, was a Coast Guard Academy graduate, a scientist at Brookhaven National Lab, a brother and son. He was killed doing one of his favorite activities — cycling — on Route 25 in Calverton.

But while Mr. Kane’s family and friends must now live a lifetime without him, the man who hit him while driving under the influence of methadone coming from a county clinic — with four kids in the car, no less — will soon walk free.

Whether it’s a loophole in state laws, a flawed methadone administration program or a failure to gather and present evidence remains a moot point now.

We can only hope that those who are in positions to do so will fix whatever problems exist so Mr. Kane’s death was not in vain.

FLICKR image/courtesy DonkeyHotey
FLICKR image/courtesy DonkeyHotey