Pubdate: Thu, 01 Jun 2006
Source: Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT)
Copyright: 2006 Deseret News Publishing Corp.
Contact:  http://www.desnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/124

JUDGE SENDS A MESSAGE

On Tuesday, 3rd District Judge Royal Hansen imposed the maximum 
sentence on Macall Aubrey Petersen in the overdose death of 
18-year-old Amelia Sorich. Petersen, 19, earlier admitted injecting 
Sorich with drugs, causing a deadly overdose and then hiding the body.

Petersen will spend a year in jail for class A misdemeanor negligent 
homicide and zero-to-five years in prison for third-degree felony 
desecration of a human body. She also was ordered to undergo drug 
treatment and to have no contact with her mother, who was described 
in court as a longtime drug addict who did drugs with her daughter.

Many in this community applaud the sentence handed down to Petersen. 
Indeed, it speaks to the value of Sorich's life and removes from our 
midst a young woman whose actions are a "significant danger to the 
community," as Hansen said during the sentencing hearing.

For the Sorich family, the loss of their daughter and sister has been 
overwhelming, according to their testimony. If only someone had 
summoned help for their daughter and sister. If only Amelia's 
"friends" valued her life more than they feared the consequences of 
calling the authorities. Then, Amelia would have had a chance to 
live. Then, her father's only option to see his daughter wouldn't be 
visiting her graveside.

By all means, Petersen and her former boyfriend, Jasen Andrew 
Calacino, 19, need to be held to account for their actions. But there 
is another school of thought that says that rendering it safe to call 
911 in the event of an overdose is a better course than punitive 
criminal penalties.

This is the challenge Rep. Carol Spackman Moss faces as she attempts 
to balance the interests of saving lives and upholding laws in 
legislation she plans to introduce in the 2007 Legislature.

Had Petersen sought help for Sorich, it is possible that the course 
of both of their lives would have been drastically different. Sorich, 
described by her mother as a talented, good-humored and accomplished 
young woman who went out of her way to care for others, may still be among us.

And Petersen would not be starting her young adult life behind bars.

If only.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman