Jordan Steinke, the Fort Lupton police officer who locked a handcuffed woman in a police vehicle that was hit by a freight train, was sentenced to probation Friday.
Because the DA charged her with “Attempted Reckless Manslaughter”, which the judge acquitted her of because “Attempted Reckless Manslaughter” is an almost incoherent crime. (Reckless Manslaughter doesn’t require intent, Attempted [anything] does, this made the mens rea basically impossible to prove, and indeed it wasn’t.) One would almost suspect that the prosecution felt the need to charge the cop with a serious crime but didn’t want one that could possibly stick.
Because the DA charged her with “Attempted Reckless Manslaughter”, which the judge acquitted her of because “Attempted Reckless Manslaughter” is an almost incoherent crime. (Reckless Manslaughter doesn’t require intent, Attempted [anything] does, this made the mens rea basically impossible to prove, and indeed it wasn’t.) One would almost suspect that the prosecution felt the need to charge the cop with a serious crime but didn’t want one that could possibly stick.