Crime and punishment

Remember the case of Bryce Barker near Berthoud, Colorado? The 24 year old driving through rural Larimer County told the judge he stopped his car and threatened a trio of senior citizens with his baseball bat because he feared for his life. When Barker swung the bat, one of the oldsters held up his bike to defend himself.

Colorado 8th Judicial District Judge Thomas French had mercy on Barker and gave him probation with no jail time. Barker is also required to stop taking his medical marijuana. Barker has a medical marijuana card for pain from previous car crashes (plural, according to this Loveland Reporter Herald story). The guy sounds like a real upstanding citizen.

This Coloradoan story focuses on the emotional trauma of Barker and his family forced on them by their legal woes, which, frankly, makes me want to vomit.


22 year old Cody Ryan was sentenced to a year of jail and three years of probation in the death of Tempe AZ cyclist Bradley Jason Scott. Police say Scott was riding legally with the flow of traffic when Davis hit him and left the scene of the crash.


A Michigan jury found Mathew Bastien guilty of drunk driving and other crimes in the death of nine year old Amy Gollnick, who was riding a bicycle with her mother when Bastien hit them with his minivan last August.


An Ohio man gets three years probation for stealing bikes from college students.

Biking In LA has more stories on crime and punishment and bicycles, while Peter writes that cyclists need a “Black Like Me” book.

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