I don't understand what you're arguing at this point. Given the rates of vehicle deaths in the US, the penalties are clearly not high enough to act as a deterr

I don't understand what you're arguing at this point. Given the rates of vehicle deaths in the US, the penalties are clearly not high enough to act as a deterrent. The "default" for this charge absolutely involves at least a year of jail time (that is, in fact, the defining difference between a felony and a misdemeanor), and the plea deal in this case is an affront to justice.