What was the difference between Ben Wallace's sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol Tuesday and Jalen Rose's earlier this year?
Could be as simple as the judges
Even though there were handgun charges also involved with Wallace, he received one year probation, approximately $2,700 in fines and 30 hours of community service. No jail.
Rose got 92 days in jail and a year's probation, but but judge Kimberly Small - criticized for overly harsh sentences for drunk drivers by defense attorneys - suspended 72 days of the sentence. Still, Rose got considerable jail time, nearly three weeks, for what appears to be a lesser incident.
Judge Shalina Kumar presided over the Wallace case. You can debate which sentence is more just, but what is disturbing is the inequity here. Cases of this nature should not be decided strictly on the whim of judges. They need narrower guidelines when it comes to sentences of DUIs in this state.