Topic : 03/16 Cheerleader Scandal

 I feel for Brandi and her family.  unfortunately because she did not go to trial she did not get justice.  I agree with Brandi's father.  Daniel's family is looking to get revenge rather than justice.  The family needs to ask themselves "What would Daniel want in this situation?"  I am sure that Daniel would not want the families to continue to quarrel in this manner.  Nor would Daniel want for Brandi to serve 12 years for this painful mistake.  I believe she accidentally ran him over and out panic tried to cover it up.  Under the advice of her attorney she took a plea bargain and that changed her life forever.  The American system is suppose to prove justice in any situation.  However, it sometimes fails and needs the support of citizens to get it back on track.  I was dissapointed that Dr. Phil did not offer any information on the case for those willing to help.  An address for the local congressman would have been nice.  Or the last names involved in the case.  Then I cook have looked up the information.
Brandi and Daniel's family will forever be touched by such an event.  However Daniel's family needs to get past their greif and forgive so that it doesn't consume their life.  I have never known a family so wiling to take another life to pay for their loss.  This is overwhelming.  Their loss must be tremedous.  Brandi's life is not the equivlent value of Daniel's life.  How can they feel that if Brandi served a life sentece they would feel better.  I believe they are simply seeking revenge and need to close their eyes and acknowledge the truth and eveidence in the reports and try to sort out the truth of that night.  In order to do this they must all close their thoughts to prior beliefs and open their minds to all the physical evidence in the case. 

I don't get your focus here Dr. Phi. The fact is the girl is serving the time she was given, I'm not sure why you start the show as if something coming out now could change that. Your focus should be helping these families deal with what is. Life is unfair. Maybe it is unfair and serving her whole sentence doesn't seem to serve a purpose to you or to them or to anyone but it's not up for discussion or change. A jury already decided that. Accept it. How many other families out there are dealing with similar issues and you aren't running to their rescue. If they came to you for help, help them deal with the issues within their control not letting them just spout off to one another. I am frustrated with the wasted time on this show. It seems to me that the girl's family can control what is happening to them. She is in for twelve years, what good does it do to eat yourself up with missing her, taking pills and wallowing in self pity making yourself sick and angry. So there it is in the last 7 minutes of the show that you are finally saying what you should have been saying from the beginning instead of letting them go through this tirade. Say it Phil, you know what to say, you just should have spent more time during this show in saying what you needed to say. What that girl or her family or his family had to say, helped noone.

     This may or may not have been an accident.  Brandi's Mother and Father have no empathy for Daniel's family and are attacking them.  How can they be so insensitive.  Brandi is the only one who knows the truth, the whole truth and I hope she doesn't continue to black that out of her memory.  The facts are that she went to the residence to see Daniel she struck Daniel with the car and knew that (she said she didnt want to think about it) and she left the scene.  She stated she was afraid he was still alive (so she did know what she did).  She went home and was able to compose herself and tell her Father an outrageous lie that he believed.  An innocent or remorseful person would not have been able to lie after thinking about everything that happened and be so composed. Brandi's parents are blinded and don't want to see the truth.  I feel they need to face the truth and accept that Brandi was responsible for this incident.   If they keep lying to their selves their life is going to become more out of control.  Brandi's mother is probably having health problems because of not accepting that her daughter murdered Daniel. They have no empathy for Daniel's family and should be thankful their daughter is alive.  I feel sad for Brandi's brother who is the most affected in their family, I hope he gets outside help.  My heart goes out to Daniel's family for their loss.  And I hope Brandi's parents wake up soon for their own good.  I think Brandi is going to be just fine and I hope she is remorseful but I didn't see that on the show.   Jamie   

These people truly have issues.  

I understand they have lost a son/brother.  But if he had any of the hate that they are exhibiting on the show, then YES I do believe that he was abusive, and I do believe that this was an accident.  

This mother of Daniel, she is really killing me... 

She is hell bent on being bitter.  Yes, she has a right to be hurt, that was her son, but is she grieving?  It seems to me she is more interested in pointing the finger at someone else and justifying her anger then really trying to find out what happened that night.   

Where was she at 2:00 in the morning when Brandi went over there?  Where was she when he was threatening to kill her and her brother...or even himself. What was going on at home to let him think this behavior was acceptable??  

This family has some problems..If you can't see it , then you are crazy. 

The daughter is hateful, the Mother is hateful, the Dad is just a mess...what is it????? 

Maybe if they could get past the Hate, and revenge they are seeking, they can see this for what it is...a horrific accident!!!!!  

Her Attorney was incompetent.  I would call the Bar Association and file a complaint.  He committed malpractice by not sharing with her the terms of the plea bargain.  At 17  you will not know your rights if you don't ask...How is she supposed to know if that plea bargain was good?   

I would file a complaint citing ineffective counsel.  

He mislead her..She may be 17  and considered an adult, but she is a child. Not even out of high school. What is she supposed to know about a plea bargain? Last time I checked they didn't teach that subject in school! 

You know, she is going to go to jail for 12 years, and these child molesters are doing 60 days and coming out violating another child. 
If Daniels mother would put her energies into maybe volunteering at a Domestic Violence shelter, so she could learn the signs of abuse,  she would be better because of it.  

  

I do feel Brandi's family came on there and conducted themselves accordingly.   

Daniels family came on to attack..It is not going to bring Daniel back by attacking her family.  

Oh God, How I wish I could talk to them.  

We will never know what occurred on that night--none of us.  The only two people who knows are those two who was there--and one is no longer with us on this earth.   

This is a terrible/tragic incident--and the most terrible thing is for a mother to bury her child.  That is not how it is supposed to be.   

Personally I can see both sides of this incident--but I could not make a decision on what happened-nor would I want to.  Because I am sure there is much more to this story that what we know--No matter who is guilty--There is only one person--our God up above knows the true!! 

I know both families are suffering terribly--and both families need much help in dealing with this incident. To help them begin healing and going on with their lives. 

My heart aches as a mother for both of these mothers.  I would not want to be in either one of those mothers shoes. 

Stay strong--and be safe and hold your children close--because in a blink of an eye--they can be gone. 

She is not the one suffering most out of this ordeal, Daniel's family is.  They lost a child and that is the most horrible thing on earth.  She is not innocent because she did hit him, accident or not, and he is dead as a result.  That fact alone makes her guilty.  If she was afraid for her life then it makes NO sense to go over to his house alone. She wasn't too scared because scared people don't voluntarily go to the person they are soooo afraid of.  She left the scene, she did not even call for help.  That would have made it seem more like an accident but she left him there to die without trying to save his life.  Yeah right she thought that if she checked on him that he would kill her, at the least, he was badly hurt and would have been physically unable to hurt her so that is bull to say that she was scared to check on him.  She even concocted a story about how the window was smashed to her family.  How can they explain away that lie?  They can't.  It's messed up that you feel sorry for a hit and run person that killed someone.  Do you feel sorry for everyone that hits and kills someone and runs away from it, lies about it, and covers it up??  I think your values are screwed up and I hope myself and my children are not around when you are on the road because if you were to hit someone with your car, accident or not, by saying that Brandi is innocent, you're saying it's okay to drive away, not call for help, and let the person die right there on the street.  You need to re-evaluate your position because you are on the wrong side.  Look to my message posted on march 16th by "dezign" if you want to reply.  Or please reply to this because I would love your response to what I've said.

I agree..I believe Brandi is too young and she's inocent..It was an accident

It seems the killer(Brandi) and her family believe that a family that has lost a loved one in the most senseless and violent of ways does not have a right to seek revenge within the justice system. Nothing wrong with revenge as long as it is pursued within the judicial system, and a wrong has been done and remedial sentence or action available. Note that at the end of the sentence the killer(Brandi), gets to go home. On the other hand the victims family have lost once and forever the companionship of their loved one. Just keeping things in perspective