Wife of Man Killed by Drunk Driver Blasts Sentence & System

By Joseph Hosey

The wife of a Joliet man killed by a drunken driver as he bicycled home from work said an eight-year prison sentence handed down Friday made her "sick to my stomach."

"This whole situation makes me sick to my stomach, and knowing Justice was not served on behalf of my husband make me even more sick," Amanda Farmer, the wife of James Farmer, said in an email.

James Farmer, 49, was killed in June 2012. The woman who ran him over on South Midland Avenue in Rockdale, 32-year-old Cara Quiett, has already served more than a year in jail. She will have to do 85 percent of the approximately seven years she has left.

James Farmer's family was angered and saddened by what they believe to be a light sentence. Here is Amanda Farmer's statement in its entirety:

"I'm writing to make a statement about today's verdict for Cara Quiett, I think our Justice system here in Illinois is so screwed up and I find it totally unfair to only sentence her to 8 years in prison for killing my husband! As with any amount of time nothing is going to bring my husband back but only 8 years you have to be kidding me! Why not just smack her on her hand and say bad job go to your room. When everyday you drive down the highway and see signs posted for hit a worker $10,000.00 fine and 14 years in prison and that's only for hitting a person not killing them. We are clearly not happy with the judge's decision and I think it is total bull for even having a law for drunk driving if you're not going to enforce harder penalties for multi dui's and even harder ones if a death was involved!! This whole situation makes me sick to my stomach, and knowing Justice was not served on behalf of my husband make me even more sick. It only goes to show you if you want to get away with murder just come to Joliet, cause nothing will happen to you but a slap on the hand!!!"
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