AS I AM READING THIS I SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING DANNY WAS RACING, IF HE WAS RACING WHY DID THE POLICE SAY HE WASNT AND WHY HAVENT THERE BEEN ANY OTHER PEOPLE ARRESTED? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER DRIVEN OVER THE SPEED LIMIT? IT COULD JUST AS WELL OF BEEN YOU THAT WAS IN THIS SITUATION.

When someone drinks and drives they are not in their right frame of mind.  Mr Espinoza; however, was in his right frame of mind when he knowingly chose to race.  MADD has it right, but I'm pretty sure that the people who go around to schools and talk to kids have served some time, and expressed their remorse to the victim's family.  Mr. Espinoza has done neither of these.

If you feel having to be in a wheelchair,having to have someone else,say pick your nose, is being glorified,you need to rethink things, And please advise MADD of your position~ they have been using the same tactic for years now,having drunk drivers who have killed and or injured others speak in schools .

Again my heart goes out to the Walters family~ they are paying a high cost here,one they will always pay till they die,and then their survivors will pay again....

All that hate will eat you alive.....Are these people more upset with the loss of a family member or the loss of the last 2 years they have dedicated to making sure he is punished? Will him going to Prison make it stop?

He went out that evening, and he was racing, plain and simple.  He may not have gone outside and said: I'm going to kill someone today; however, he did kill someone.  I hope, everyday, he wishes he didn't live.  Community service? Going around to schools so he can be in the spotlight like he did something great? Give me a break.  He is NOT paying the most for it, Dorothy Anne Walter is.

Him being trapped in his body is his own doing. End of the day he still killed someone, and he needs to be punished.

Yes, Danny Espinoza is imprisoned within his his own paralyzed body. But he is still in the comfort of his own home surrounded daily by his family and friends. The Mrs. Walter's family and friends will  never be able to spend another second with her. Paralyzed or not he needs to pay for the tragedy his actions caused. I have no pity for Danny Espinoza.

 And to what onrluv said "He was doing what every young adult does with a fast car and is paying the most for it." Wrong, Mrs. Walters and her family have paid the most for it. 

ok I've read all the comments here and wow, I cant believe the thoughts that some people have. Danny did not INTENTIALLY kill someone. Maybe he was racing, Not out to kill someone or out to harm himself. Simply having fun. And it costed someone their live and him his body. And he has to live with the thoughts of the pain he caused the other family.I feel for both sides and I think everyone else should to. I bet there are days that danny wishes he didnt live through that. But god had other plans for him, If its going around to schools and letting kids know that it could happen to them just as easy then be it.. But prison for any quadripegic I dont think is right. And to some of you that said that there isnt any computer games in prison... What? The prisoners get more then a computer with games. They get whatever they want. If its games or cd players or tvs. they have it. All I need to say is I guess is 6 years is a little much for a accident. He was doing what every young adult does with a fast car. and is paying the most for it. It is a hard choice to make but dont you think he is suffering enough by the way he has to live? There is nowhere stating what danny liked to do when he could use his body. so he may not have lost his life but he did lose his body. I really dont know what would be worse. 

Coping method~ I mention that because after my losses,between grief groups I found myself mindlessly playing games at Pogo,while trying not to think about what had happened,usually unsuccessfully. Coping method,even in a hospital prison he will find one~ probably with state paid for adaptive equipment and a computer. My sympathies lie with the Walters family primarily .

Coping method?  Sounds like too many freedoms to me.  He broke the law, in his act of breaking the law he intentially murdered someone.   So sad he is trapped in a non-functioning body, oh well, he kind of brought it on upon himself.

Well said highaim.      Suffer~ which in it's original meaning implies to undergo~ is something both these families will have to deal with. Having taken care of my son,a "prisoner in his own body",I understand the cost of what Espinoza and his family will have to pay~even though he can still communicate,he bears the extra burden of knowing exactly what he lost. Having lost both of my sons I also understand the toll of losing someone you hold dearer than life .Especially in such a senseless manner,but there will never be closure,their pain will always be there. IMHO there are victims everywhere in this story.

Rather than jail,community service~such as going to schools to show the effects of reckless behavior might be more appropriate.Regardless of worlds of  warcraft,or chat rooms(he is using that as a coping method),Espinoza will always be a man in a body that can not move,has imaginary pains,and has wasted at least two lives.

This is not two people suffering.  Mr. Espinoza murdered Dorothy Anne Walter using his car as the weapon.  He is not suffering. He is alive and well and has had the opportunity to celebrate holidays, birthdays and everything else with his family.  Dorothy Anne Walter's family hasn't had that opportunity since Mr. Espinoza's blatant disregard for the law and of human life.  Six years in prison is not enough!  If you think that this is supposed to be a deturrent, and you say he is already in prison than what you are saying is that as long as I get injured while going on a homicadal rampage I wont have to worry about prison or the consequences.

I am physically sick that Mr. Espinoza, the cause of the collision, received a gigantic picture in the newspaper and the true victim, and only victim got a small picture. 

Better question JBS-Scooby what world do you live on?  Please re-read you post and answer this question- Did that make sense?

Lady Scooby - how much education do you have?

The basic theoretical motivation of the criminal justice system is not punishment or revenge, but deterrance. The goal of corrections is to deter current and future criminals from commiting crimes. It is highly unlikely that Mr. Espinoza will commit a crime in the future similar to the one he is currently being accused. So, in that sense, and from a logical viewpoint, Mr. Espinoza has brought upon himself the same effect that the criminal justice system has intended. So then, the real issue is not how we feel about it, or even how we personally define "justice", but really hinges on the practical needs that Mr. Espinoza now has. I highly doubt there is any prison in the State of California that is adequately equipped to care for the needs of a quad. While SCIs don't equate with mental retardation, Mr. Espinoza's total loss of body function renders him completely dependent on full time care for even the most basic needs. Any direct care nursng needs to be conducted by a specialized nurse and prison doctors need to be accutely familiar with the unique needs that quads have- from diet, to physical therapy to prevent decubitis (bed sores). And then there is another issue- he obviously can't be put into the general prison population. Most cells aren't even large enough to accomdate a standard wheelchair, much more a specialized chair for a quad. He needs special mattresses, special hygiene routines, has unique dietary needs, and ongoing medical assessment. So, where would he be placed? While we might be inclinced to say, "lock him up and throw away the key", the fact is that even criminals are human beings with basic human rights. If they put Mr. Espinoza in a prison not equipped to meet his needs they are inadvertently denying him his basic rights, and will have eager lawyers waiting to assist with a big-fat lawsuit against the State. Obviously, from a logical point of view, it would be foolish to have Mr. Espinoza serve time in a prison. From a moralistic point of view, wouldn't we just as easily call this situation "poetic justice", "karma", "reaping what we sow", and then leave it alone?  

Paralyzed or not...at least the Espinoza family HAS him alive!  The other family will NEVER have chance to tell thier loved one thet they love her, or hold her hand, or even  hug her....ANYTHING!  He committed a crime...he must pay the price.  He'll have excellent medical care for the rest of his life...as well as all the latest computer games!  Sorry my sympathy lies solely with the Walters family ...

I wouldn't count on this guy not having access to computers in a hospital.  They said if convicted he will be in an outside hospital.  He will not be in prison.

It really bothered me when he said, "No one came out on top" his words.  The victims family said, he never said

he was sorry.  It seems by witness he was street racing.  He put himself in this situation.  He needs to pay for the life he took....

I would hate for the Dept of Corrections to incur even more expense for this guy than we taxpayers already are paying.   Sure, we're furious for his selfish stupidity in taking an innocent's life, but I don't see any upside in this.  He has a family, they  know how to take care of him.  The bereaved family will never get their loved one back, so however it turns out in court, Mrs Walters will still be lost.

His family needs some freedom. I say lock him up. There won't be any online chatting in prison.

He needs to suffer some kind of punishment besides what he has already done to himself. [edit.] 

I have to agree with thegrumpyskeptic as this individual still retains freedoms to play online games and chat.  The victim can no longer 'chat' with her family.  It is sad that his actions have caused himself to now be trapped in his body, however, he broke the law and he needs accountability for his actions.

House arrest isn't an option if he's convicted according to the article.  He will be in an outside hospital.   At least leaving things the way they are, the family is picking up some of the slack for his care.  That won't happen if he's in a hospital.

Save the state the expense of NOT having a trial.  What's the point?  I don't know about anyone else but being a quadriplegic, to me, is a fate worse than death.  I'd want then to pull the plug on me.

Does this guy have his mental faculties? He should stand trial just like anyone else who kills somebody. If prison is not practical, then sentence him to permanent house arrest.

Two things come to mind here in my opinion.  First is ..what's the point?   He's most likely already being cared for at the states expense as the cost of caring for a quadriplegic is more than most families can afford so to transfer him to prison would add to the taxpayers burden.  This man will never cause another accident nor is he going unpunished. 

According the the statement here   "The care provided to these inmates depends on their medical conditions, he said. Those who have serious ailments and cannot be treated in the prison, will be treated at outside hospitals"  he won't be in prison anyway.

The other thing I found odd with the article is that it states he feels nothing from the neck down and later in the article, goes on to say he suffers from painful urinary tract infections.

The issue is not so much that he isn't suffering already he is, but because of his reckless actions he MURDERED an innocent person. someones relative is dead while this quadrapalegic play WORLD OF WARCRAFT and enjoys CHATTING ONLINE!!! Where is the justice? So I can go on a kiling rampage as long as something bad happens to me, give me a break, he may suffer, but he's not dead, which by any means would be worse, or else why would he and his family be fighting for his life and freedom?

Danny Espinoza is already in a prison..........all the guy can do is lay there and [edit.] all over himself......What will be accomplished by locking him up..... It it really wroth all the cost it  will take to house him? ...........Either way it sucks to be him......

How do you feel about a quadriplegic being sentenced to prison for a crash he caused and killed a 69-year-old woman?

Lock him up; his quadriplegic state be damned. His kind will try anything to keep from taking responsibility for their actions.