Teen Pleads Not Guilty In "Jackass" Merry-Go-Round" Death

[matcom]

<snip>

A teenager pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal charges stemming from his involvement in a deadly merry-go-round accident, officials reported.

Christopher J. King, 19, was arraigned in a Yuba County courtroom for his part in replicating a feat performed in "Jackass: The Movie." The stunt failed, leaving 16-year-old Roberta M. MacKinnon of Marysville dead.

King faces misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. He could receive up to one year of jail time if convicted, said Deputy District Attorney Melanie Bendorf, who added that she could not comment on the case.

The charges against King stem from a January 2004 incident in which King and other students tied a stretch of rope to a pickup truck, then attached its other end to the base of a merry-go-round at Stephen J. Field Park, also known as Circle Park, near Marysville High School.

As seen in "Jackass," an MTV and Paramount Pictures movie based on the MTV reality show of the same name, the rope was wrapped around the merry-go-round's base and pulled so it would spin at a high speed.

King was reportedly driving the pickup while MacKinnon, a junior at Marysville High School, rode the spinning merry-go-round. She was fatally injured when hurled about 60 feet onto a stretch of pavement.

"It was a tragic accident, but it wasn't a crime," said Rick Worrell, King's attorney.

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/2005/01/28/news/local_news/news5.txt

[bbernardini]

1. Darwin award nominee?

[JVS]

2. Did the 16-yo volunteer in this activity?

Is she did, she deserves a darwin award

[nickgutierrez]

3. Not a crime?

No, this is a crime. It's manslaughter.

And really, really stupid.

[MadHound]

4. Damn, one year, is that all?

Sheesh, what about reckless endangerment, gross negligence, manslaughter? I'm sorry but being stupid and sorry isn't an excuse for killing somebody.

[Zuni]

7. exactly

The fact that this was an accident doesn't mean the girl's parents aren't suffering

[-..__...]

5. So....

when are the parties involved going to sue the producers of the "Jackass" movie?

[Branjor]

6. That movie was not called

"Jackass" for nothing.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. And don't forget to vote in the opinion poll on the left hand side!

:hi: