About the bloggers
strong>Vanessa C. Shortley
Contact info: phone: (252) 559-1076
E-mail: vshortley@freedomenc.com
I’m the crime reporter for the Free Press. I’ve been in Kinston since September 2007, but I’ve been a reporter here since February 2008. Before that, I was a copy editor.
I’ve written for 3 newspapers — The Daily Record (Parsippany, N.J.), The Daily Southerner (Tarboro) and The Free Press — and 2 college papers — The Youngtown Edition (Randolph, N.J.) and The East Carolinian (Greenville). I’ve been a free lancer, a community writer, a general assignment reporter, a news editor, an editor in chief, a copy editor/ layout designer and a crime reporter.
I graduated from East Carolina University (go Pirates!) in 2007 and from the County College of Morris in 2005.
I hope you’ll feel free to call or e-mail me if you hear of something interesting that’s happened. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Here is a thought for you. Everyday, in every paper with a crime page, we read about drivers driving while license is revoked, or never had one, or a suspended license. These are deliberate as the person driving knows what his or her status is. When it gets to the courts, it is simply dealt with like a slap on the hand, a minor fine etc. Usually, the offense occurs in conjunction with another offense, such as an at fault accident, DUI, reckless, uninsured, drugs, +++ etc. These very same offenders are most often repeat offenders of the very same crime.
Since the current laws have no consequence in deterring the crime, isn’t it about time we looked further into this and changed the punishments? First time seize vehicle for 3 days, second offense, 10 days, third offense 60 days. This would be regardless of whose vehicle it is, the lender should have never authorized an unlicensed driver to use the vehicle. If the offender didn’t have permission, charge them with auto theft.
Comment by Diane Prentice — August 13, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
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