Speaking your Mind...Part 3

Driving is a privilege that requires responsibility and good decision making…Mr. Hovey has demonstrated he has the ability for neither and should lose his driver’s license permanently. There are no guarantees as to whether or not Mr. Hovey will ever have remorse or will ever seriously address his addiction, however, I do believe that keeping him off the streets for as long as possible could save lives.

I would like you to look at this photo (showed photo of Amit’s truck). This is a photo of the carnage that resulted from Troy Hovey’s choices. This image is branded into my brain…an image I will never forget …an image I wish I could forget… this is the result of Troy Hovey’s choices. I want you to see the devastation…and attempt to comprehend that this is a mere fraction of what he caused because of his choices. The twisted metal, the splintered glass, Amit’s coolers and farmer’s market food scattered across the highway…and behind all of this metal and glass…is the worst tragedy that has befallen my life, Deepika’s life, Amit’s parents lives…the broken body of my best friend, Deepika’s husband and love, Jevesh Tandon’s father, Amit Tandon. I can only pray that in those last moment, he did not have time to think of Deepika, of his unborn child, of his family. My heart wants to believe that he went quickly and without pain and suffering…but the scientist in me knows that there is the possibility that in those last moments of his life, he wanted one last moment to tell his family that he loved them, one last dance with his true love, one last moment to hold his wife and child, ...

...knowing that he would not have that chance as his last breath passed his lips. Those are the thoughts that haunt me.

Troy Hovey killed Amit Tandon, resulting in an immeasurable amount of pain and suffering. Troy Hovey did not just violate probation…he violated the victims, he violated Deepika, he violated me …forcing us to relive this terrible grief. What I want and want Deepika wants…we can never have…we want Amit back in our lives…we want our happy normal lives back…but the reality is, no matter what happens…those are two wishes we will never have granted. We must settle for hope. Hope that with time we will find some peace, Hope that the pain becomes easier to live with, and Hope that we can see Justice served and that Troy Hovey finds remorse and recovery.

Speaking your Mind ...Part 2

Drunk Driving is not a mistake, it is not an accident, it is not an error...it is a choice, plain and simple. A person knows before that first sip passes their lips that they need to make appropriate plans for a safe way home...and to do otherwise puts lives at risk. Whether or not they are a good person, have a particular job, have had a particular surgery, or even that they have a family of their own, does not excuse a bad choice or eliminate responsibility for the terrible results of those choices…Victims of DUI have families, have friends, are good people, have good jobs, had lives.

While Troy Hovey served less than 6 months in jail, we have been given life sentences, a lifetime of pain and heartache, a lifetime without our friend, son, uncle, brother, husband, and father …and Amit Tandon…his entire life was stolen.

Mr. Hovey was given the opportunity to choose to channel his supposed remorse, to choose to embrace recovery and he squandered that opportunity because he has neither remorse nor a desire to recover. Remorse can and has been contrived.

While, Amit's widow, Deepika, works every single day of the week to make ends meet and take care of her child, Troy Hovey plays on facebook. A recent entry from May and June shows Hovey inquiring as to the cost and availability of a recreational vehicle that costs almost $9000. Would a remorseful person do such a thing? Would a remorseful person violate probation or falsify logs? Would someone who has "embraced" recovery falsify logs and lie about treatment? If he had wanted to seek a different form of treatment, why not petition the court? Why lie and deceive unless he knew he was doing something wrong? Having committed these violations, I pose a potentially even more serious series of questions: What else could he be guilty of? What else may he by lying about? Whose lives may he be putting at risk?

A man has violated the law and he must be held accountable for his actions to the fullest extent allowed by law. If he is not remorseful and has not embraced recovery, he has the potential to repeat his past crimes...and in so doing, puts each and every one of us and our loved ones at risk. Perhaps Troy Hovey Needs to go to prison, not only to be held accountable for his actions and choices, but to gain perspective on what he has done and to be given the opportunity in a more secure and supervised setting, to attempt recovery.

I have sympathy for Mr. Hovey’s wife and children, but the reality is, the only person to blame for this entire mess, this tragedy, is Troy Hovey. He has punished his own family by virtue of the choices he has made, no one else.

Speaking your mind...Part 1

It brings me no pleasure to be here today, but I find that I am compelled to do so. Compelled by the grave injustive done to Amit Tandon and all those that loved and cared for him. I am compelled to be here by teh actions and choiced of one man, a man I consider to be a kller, a killer lacking remorse...a killer lacking a willingness to accept responsibility for his actions and choices.

Troy Hovey has demonstrated a complete inability to make good choices…two years ago Troy Hovey made not one, but a series of bad choices. What happened was not an accident, it was not a mistake, …he did not swerve to miss a deer, he did not pass out from an undiagnosed medical condition, he did not hit an icy patch on the road…he made a choice. Troy Hovey chose to drink to excess, he chose not to call anyone to get a safe ride home, he chose to get behind the wheel and drive at excessive speeds, he chose to talk on a cell phone, and as a result of this series of bad choices, a man died, ...Amit Tandon.

And just as Troy Hovey made those terrible choices on August 6th of 2008...he has chosen to thumb his nose at the court, the law, and all victims, by making the choice to violate his probation. Our hearts ache and we carry this grief with us for the rest of our lives while Troy Hovey shows no remorse or desire to “recover,” essentially spitting in the face of all of his victims.

The pain Troy Hovey has caused is deep, raw, and seemingly unending. There is no number, no price, no quantifiable measure that can truly define the utter devastation and turmoil inflicted upon the hearts and minds of so many, not only by the tragedy two years ago, but by Troy Hovey’s more recent crimes which have wrought continued suffering as we are forced to relive all of that pain, all of that heartache, all the anxiety … reopening wounds that had only just begun to mend.

Deepika and I have a shared loss, and I can tell you that whatever pain I experience, hers is far greater as her loss was far greater. We have suffered sleepless nights, countless tears, anxiety, and heartache. The inner turmoil I have experienced has caused such disruption to my life that there is not one aspect that has not been affected by this nightmare,… depression, distractions at work, stomach problems…I find my relationships have suffered with friends as they struggle to understand what I am going through, often unable to understand and unable to help. My own family is 2000 miles away and yet they suffer as they are unable to comfort me, unable to fix this tragedy that has so severely affected their daughter’s life.

Speaking your mind...a spoken statement...

Speaking in Court

Much of what I included in my spoken statement was taken from my written statement...but it is important, whenever possible, that the court, the DA, the defendant, the probation department, and the audience, HEAR the impact and SEE the impact, that such crimes have on the hearts, minds, and lives of those that are left to pick up the pieces after such terrible tragedies. Regardless of their relationship to the victim...

I would never say that making a spoken statement is easy...but...it is important...for the court...and for the speaker...

I had my say in court...hopefully Troy heard my words, my pain, hopefully he came to more fully understand the impact his choices had on all those that care about Amit, Deepika, and Jevesh. Hopefully those people in the audience heard and understood the impact of those choices.

Many a disparaging remark has been made towards those people who have been involved in one way or the other in the recent arrest and prosecution of Troy Hovey. I will point out these facts...Troy Hovey made the choices two years ago to drink, drive, and kill, and Troy Hovey made the choices to violate probation. The Probation officer did his job, the DA did his job, Judge McClean did her job. Troy admitted to all of his crimes....even if he was unwilling to take responsibility for them...He admitted to the violations and admitted to the judge in a discussion of the difference between a mistake and deceit...that he was guilty of deceit. Those people who took the time to write impact statements and/or speak in court stood up for what is right...stood up for something they felt strongly about...

I will not apologize or be ashamed for taking a stand and wanting to make a difference. I would do it again in a heartbeat and I will continue to take a stand for victims of DUI. I will write impact statements, I will speak in court, I will publish my blogs...and in the end...maybe...hopefully...I make a difference.

Making a Written Impact...Part 6...Numbers to go with the faces...

Numbers to go with the faces

I realize that the court is likely very familiar with the statistics regarding DUI. Further, Amit Tandon was a human being, not a number. All that being said, I felt the following (including references) were just some of the relevant points to take into consideration.

*Drivers with a BAC level of .08 or higher involved in fatal crashes were eight times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired (DWI) than were drivers with no alcohol (8% and 1%, respectively). (Source: NHTSA, 2008)

*About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol are repeat offenders. [Fell, Jim. “Repeat DWI Offenders in the United States: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 85, February 1995. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/traftech/1995/TT085.htm]

*Fifty to 75 percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive. [Peck, R.C., Wilson, R. J., and Sutton, L. 1995. “Driver license strategies for controlling the persistent DUI offender, Strategies for Dealing with the intent Drinking Driver.” Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Circular No. 437. Washington, D.C. National Research Council: 48-49.

Beck, KH, et al. “Effects of Ignition Interlock License Restrictions on Drivers with Multiple Alcohol Offenses: A Randomized Trial in Maryland.” American Journal of Public Health, 89 vol. 11 (1999): 1696-1700.]

*A first time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested. [Zador, Paul, Sheila Krawchuk, and B. Moore. (1997) “Drinking and Driving Trips, Stops by Police, and Arrests: Analysis of the 1995 National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior,” Rockville, MD: Estat, Inc, 1997.]

*A 2008 AAA poll measuring the traffic safety culture of Americans, found that 80% supported requiring drivers who have been convicted of DWI to use equipment that tests them for alcohol, i.e. an ignition interlock device. Also, 88% of the respondents in the poll felt that drunk driving is a serious traffic safety concern. [AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index” Washington DC: AAA Foundation, April 2008. http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/2008TSCIndexFinalReport.pdf]

*About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol are repeat offenders. [Fell, Jim. “Repeat DWI Offenders in the United States.” Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 85, February 1995. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/traftech/1995/TT085.htm]

*The risk of a driver who has one or more DWI convictions becoming involved in a fatal crash is about 1.4 times the risk of a driver with no DWI conviction. [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Repeat DWI Offenders Are an Elusive Target.” Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 217, March 2000. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/outreach/traftech/pub/tt217.html]

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Traffic Safety Facts 2007 Data:Alcohol Impaired Driving” DOT 810 985. Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2008. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810985.pdf]

Making a Written Impact...Part 5...Punishment and Accountability

Punishment and Accountability

A man has violated the law and he must be held accountable for his actions. If he is not remorseful and has not embraced recovery, he has the potential to repeat his past crimes...and in so doing, puts each and every one of us and our loved ones at risk. Perhaps Troy Hovey Needs to go to prison... not only to be held accountable for his actions and misdeeds, but to gain perspective on what he has done and to be given the opportunity in a more secure and supervised setting, to attempt recovery. There are no guarantees as to whether or not Hovey will ever have remorse or will ever seriously address his addiction, however, I do believe that keeping him off the streets for as long as possible could save lives.

Some may say, “But what about his wife and kids?” I would argue…what about Amit’s wife and child? What about them? What about all the people who cared about Amit? In the end, I have sympathy for his wife and children, but the reality is, the only person to blame for this entire mess, this tragedy, is Troy Hovey. If anyone wants to point fingers, they can only point them at Troy Hovey. He made the choices that killed a good man, Amit Tandon, two years ago, and he is the man who chose to willfully violate probation, reopening wounds for all victims, torturing Deepika, torturing me, torturing Amit’s family and friends. Troy Hovey has punished his own family by virtue of the choices he has made, no one else.

Troy Hovey killed Amit Tandon, resulting in an immeasurable amount of pain, suffering, and heartache for Deepika Tandon, Me, Amit’s family, friends, the community of Chico, and all those whose lives Amit touched in his different jobs, travels, and farmer’s markets. Troy Hovey did not just violate probation…he violated the victims, Amit’s family and friends, he violated Deepika, he violated me …once again…reopening wounds we thought were healing…having to relive the terrible grief all over again.

When Troy Hovey returns to life outside of jail/prison, regardless of when that may be, I believe he needs to continue to be held responsible for his choices by the court. First and foremost, driving is a privilege and in demonstrating that he is not capable of making good decisions, Troy Hovey should not get his license back, ever. People all over the world function without a license and personal vehicle; they ride a bike, take the bus, walk, or get a ride, and they get along just fine, this includes people with families and jobs. Troy Hovey is an alcoholic, forever, regardless of whether he is able to get treatment. He may eventually be able to turn to a sober life, but, as many alcoholics do, he could fail, return to drinking and bad choices, and once again put lives at risk. Taking Hovey’s license away will save lives.

...

I mentioned earlier that Amit, Deepika, Me, Amit’s family and friends…we have all received life sentences…a lifetime of punishment, heartache, and pain, all a result of the choices that Troy Hovey has made, both two years ago and now. Troy Hovey should be required to perform a lifetime of service to atone for his crimes. He should have to perform community service for as long as his body and mind will allow. I honestly do not believe that is unreasonable considering the lifetime of loss and heartache that all of his victims must suffer. I will suffer this pain for the rest of my life, it will shape my choices and my relationships, this tragedy is not something that is forgotten, it is a scar on my brain and in my heart.

Making a Written Impact....Part 4...No Remorse? No Recovery?

No Remorse, No Recovery

Troy Hovey had an opportunity to make amends...to channel supposed remorse to embrace recovery (as Judge Glusman had mentioned in court). In the last two years Hovey has not shown any remorse, restitution is still pending, and he has demonstrated, by violation of his probation, that he is not serious about dealing with his alcohol recovery.

What I know is that Hovey has admitted to having violated his probation and he does not appear to have any remorse for anything he has done. A recent Facebook entry from Hovey (dating from May/June of this year) shows him inquiring, on a motorsports business Facebook page (Chico Motorsports), as to the cost and availability of a luxury item purchase...a recreational vehicle that costs almost $9000...meanwhile, Amit's widow Deepika works every single day of the week (7 days...not just M-F) to make ends meet and take care of her child. Would a remorseful person do such a thing? Would a remorseful person violate probation? Would a remorseful person falsify AA logs? Would someone who has "embraced" recovery falsify AA logs? If he had wanted to seek a different form of treatment, why not petition the court? Why lie and deceive unless he knew he was doing something wrong? Having committed these violations, I pose a potentially even more serious series of questions: What else could he be guilty of? What else may he by lying about? Whose lives may he be putting at risk?

Making a Written Impact...Part 3...Choices

Choices

Troy Hovey stole the life of a good man, full of life and good will. Amit Tandon was only 32 years old. He was a son, a husband, a friend, and he would have been a great dad… I truly believe that everyone who knew Amit was better for having him in their lives, I know I am a better person. He was not just Deepika’s husband; he was her best friend and love of her life. Deepika must now face the rest of her life without him by her side. Never to feel his kisses upon her cheeks, never to have him there to comfort her, tease her, hug her, support her, or love her. Jevesh will never have the chance to truly know his father. He will not have his father there for him as he struggles with his health issues. He will never have his father there to teach him to become a man. Friends and family are deprived of his friendship, kindness, and great wisdom.

Drunk Driving is not a mistake, it is not an accident, it is not an error...it is a choice, plain and simple. I believe that anyone above the age of, probably 12 (younger for those unfortunate to suffer the results of someone's choice to drink and drive), knows that drinking and driving is dangerous and has the high potential of resulting in severe injury or death, this is not a surprise, not to anyone. A person knows before that first sip passes their lips that they need to make appropriate plans for a safe way home...and to do otherwise puts lives at risk.

If a person chooses to drink and drive then they should be held accountable for their choices. Whether or not they are a good person, have a particular job, have had a particular surgery, or even that they have a family of their own, does not excuse a bad choice or eliminate responsibility for the terrible results of those choices…Victims of DUI have families, are good people, have good jobs, but in the end…they do not get a choice.

If a person chooses to drink and drive, they choose to become a killer...they may not have chosen their specific victim...but they have chosen to behave in a manner that will likely cost someone (or more than one person) their life and ultimately bring about tremendous pain and heartache to those left behind to pick up the pieces. The emotional and physical toll that a family and surviving friends must endure after losing a loved one to a collision resulting from DUI is immeasurable.

Hovey drank to excess...He Chose to drink (elevating his BAC to Three Times the Legal Limit)...He Chose Not to call his wife or a taxi or Someone to get a safe ride home...He Chose to get behind the wheel of a multi-ton vehicle turned death machine...He Chose to drive at excessive speeds (between 60-90 mph by law enforcement estimates)...He Chose to talk on a cell phone while driving (at excessive speeds and intoxicated). All of these Choices ultimately lead to Hovey driving through a barrier and driving the wrong way on 99... Hovey collided with Amit’s truck and I can only pray that his death was instant and that he had no chance for regrets, for thoughts of his wife and child, a wife and child he would never have the chance to see, to hold, to love (can you imagine having to consider the broken body of someone you care about, hanging out of a vehicle, their life destroyed by a reckless and selfish person?…I have to…Deepika has had to, Amit’s family have had to) …and now…Troy Hovey has willfully chosen to violate probation, reopening wounds for all those that cared about Amit, that care about Deepika and Jevesh.

What happened on August 6th of 2008 was a collision resulting from one person's series of Selfish, Bad choices...That crash was not an accident, an accident implies no one is at fault...It is no different than waving a gun around and having it go off...one knows that a gun can be dangerous and that waving it around is extremely dangerous...and if you choose to wave that gun around...you know there is a risk that someone will get hurt or die...Troy Hovey made choices... and because of one man's series of bad choices, the life of a son, brother, uncle, husband, friend, and father, was stolen. Deepika and Jevesh have received life sentences, a lifetime without husband and father. Amit's family, life sentences...Amit's friends, life sentences... Me, I have a life sentence. Amit Tandon never had a choice, he received a death sentence. Deepika and Jevesh, and all those that cared about Amit, never had a choice.

Making a Written Impact...Part 2...Background, Dreams, Pain

A Little Background

Amit and Deepika Tandon married on December 28 of 2007. They were best friends and loved each other deeply. Ask anyone who had the pleasure of meeting them...She loved him so much and he adored her...They laughed and smiled, the kindness they showed each other and everyone they met warmed the heart. Amit was magnetic and charismatic, Deepika, kind and warm. They were not just husband and wife; they were partners and best friends. Amit and Deepika came to know they would be parents in the spring of 2008...If only one could have taken a snapshot in that one moment...I can only imagine that Amit must have been just about ready to burst with joy...For the next number of months, Amit cared for Deepika...protecting her (overprotecting her), taking care of her, preparing for their lives as parents. He ultimately had only three goals he wanted to pursue in his life…to marry his best friend, his partner; to be a father; and to be successful enough in his business to be able to retire young, allowing him to raise his children, enjoy his marriage, and enjoy his “golden years.” At the beginning of 2008, it looked like all of his dreams were coming true.

Devastated Dreams

All of those dreams came crumbling down in a terrible rubble on August 6^th of 2008, just a few short weeks from what would have been Amit’s 33^rd birthday…and only a few short months away from becoming an American citizen.

On Monday, August 4th, Amit and Deepika found out that the child they were having was going to be a boy. On Wednesday, August 6th, Amit worked in the kitchen to prepare for the markets, never knowing the tragedy that would unfold, never even having the opportunity to talk about names for their baby boy. Imagine for a moment that you were in Deepika's place that night…waiting, worrying, wondering where her husband was, and then, the knock on the door, an officer with her husband’s wallet, and news, such terrible news. There are no words to express the devastation, horror, and trauma that one feels in that moment. Your heart is torn from your chest, you scream out, devastated, you pray to god that it is not happening, begging for it not to be true, to hope that it is all some terrible nightmare and that they are wrong, it was someone else, that Amit would come walking through the door at any moment…but he didn't, he won't, he never will.

The Pain

I can tell you how I felt when I heard the news....Sick...my stomach went cold, my face hot, every nerve ending seemed to be on fire, disbelief, my heart raced, pounding in my ears and in my chest, praying that it was some mistake...my body was tight, my throat was clenching, trying to hold back the tears...and then...then there was no stopping the tears. I remember driving to work that morning, stuck in Tucson working, 5 am, no one else was on the road at that hour...my windows were rolled down …I screamed.... I screamed like I have never screamed in my life, it was deep and from a place I did not even know existed. I think I probably cried every day for at least 6 months and it did not stop after 6 months, it just slowed…and the pain was and is always there, a never-ending ache. I want you to understand how I felt so you may consider this: My heartache and pain is only a tiny fraction of what Deepika and Amit’s family have experienced, do experience.

I met Amit’s parents during the short time they were here in the states after his death. We were sitting in the hallway at Enloe Hospital in Chico. Jevesh, Amit’s child, had been born less than 24 hours prior, and at that moment, he was fighting for his life in the ICU, awaiting a LifeFlight helicopter to take him to the Children’s Hospital in Stanford. I told Amit’s mother that I had known her son and he was a good man, he was my friend…she sobbed…telling me that when Amit died, she died….that she was not sitting there, she had died. I watched as Amit’s father could not endure the pain of the conversation and seeing his wife so devastated, reminding him of his own pain. He sobbed, turning away, unable to speak. I watched Amit’s niece, sobbing, going to her grandfather and hugging his leg, trying to comfort him, trying to comfort herself. We all cried. We cried for our loss. We cried for Jevesh, not knowing what would happen. The pain is sharp and acute even now. I remember it vividly and it hurts…two years may as well be two seconds, the pain is still real and so are the tears still shed.

Deepika's baby was born with situs inversus (his organs are backwards), he has no spleen, and five different heart defects...the next 6 months were spent at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital where Jevesh underwent multiple surgeries and procedures to both stabilize his conditions and address some of the heart defects... Imagine having to go through all of that without your husband/partner, without a support system, without someone to lean on, the way a husband is suppose to be there for his wife. Imagine having to suffer the pain and anxiety of watching your child go through surgeries, stuck in a hospital bed with tubes and IVs, not knowing if he will live or how long he may live, while at the same time, grieving for your husband, wanting and needing him there, the pain of his loss still incredibly fresh and raw. Deepika had no choice and though I could be there as a friend, no one can substitute for a husband and no one can replace Amit.

Making an impact....

Over the next few publications I will be sharing excerpts from my written impact statement and my spoken statement for court. Taking a stand does not have to require mountains of effort...each and every person who reads this blog can make a difference simply by submitting an impact statement to the courts when DUI criminals are scheduled to be sentenced, by making the right choice to never drink and drive and to never allow someone else to drink and drive.

It is only by taking a stand and sharing your voice that the courts and society will come to understand that we will not idly stand by while our loved ones are threatened and slaughtered on the streets.

Over 10,000 people die every year!...every year...as a result of DUIs...more people than, I believe, have died in Iraq or Afghanistan...I love and respect our soldiers...they have chosen to be soldiers...Victims of DUIs never get a choice.

I firmly believe that people must be held accountable for their behaviour...for their actions...for their choices...but to accomplish that, people within the society must take a stand and say or do something...or things never change until that unfortunate and terribly tragic day that they have a personal reason to do so...

Information about the upcoming hearing (Aug. 18) and Impact Statements (Aug. 6)

Sorry for not posting sooner, but I needed some time to process everything (actual and mental)...

Here are the main deadlines to keep in mind (for those that want/need to know):

***Deadline for sending Impact Statements to the Probation Department:
AUGUST 6th (This is a Friday...the office needs to RECEIVE the letters by this day)
(The two year anniversary of what has brought us to this point in the first place)

PLEASE see my last blog entry...it has outlines/suggestions provided
by the court.
By following these guidelines, being logical, factual, impactful, as well as strong and
heartfelt, you have the best opportunity at demonstrating the hard truth about
the effect of drunk driving on the immediate victims as well as the cascade of heartache
that effects family, friends, community members, and even strangers...as well as
issues on remorse, deceit, recovery, and violating probation, squandering an
opportunity given (regardless of whether we agree with that decision).

***Sentencing Hearing: The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 am ON AUGUST 18th
Location: Butte County Courthouse (Oroville)
Date: August 18th (A Wednesday)
Time (of hearing): 9:30am
Be there BY: 9:15 at the latest (You have to go through metal detectors and be waiting
outside the courtroom for the time when they let everyone in to be seated)
NOTICE: If you plan on attending/speaking, PLEASE let me know...the DA would like
to know how many people to expect (email me at: vidaenigma@hotmail.com)

Please, as always, feel free to pass on this information and/or blog address to people who may be interested or people who want to have an opportunity to say something on the matter to the court.

*** I have been given additional information that may be relevant for some...There is an address where citizens can file legitimate complaints regarding the conduct of judges.

http://cjp.ca.gov/index.php?id=16

This is the website for the California Commission on Judicial Performance. Everything you need to know about how to file a complaint and what to include in your statement can be found on this site. THIS website is the venue to air complaints regarding the conduct of Judge Glusman who has been reelected to a six year position as no person ran against him...

This information is in my previous blog, but it is so far down on the page I thought I would repeat it in this blog:

The address for the Butte County Probation Department is:

Butte County Probation Department

42 County Center Dr.

Oroville, CA 95965

For now, it is suggested that the letters be directed to this address so they will be included in the probation report. The report is given to the judge and DA in advance of the hearing. The Probation department needs to receive these letters by August 6th.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I thought about what else I wanted to say today, as I write this blog...I have thought about things all weekend in fact...I believe those that have read my blog know how I feel and know how much my life has been impacted by the tragedy two years ago. My pain and heartache is only a fraction of what Deepika and Amit's family have experienced/are experiencing.

In some ways, I so wish my life was not what it is ...two years ago my life changed forever, I lost a piece of my heart that night...forever to be a scar that would not be forgotten...I will never forget...But I will also say this...The void that was left...a void filled with great pain and sorrow...overwhelming at times...over time also filled with joy, love, and friendship. I still feel the ache...I think it will always be there...but I also am overwhelmed with the blessing of having the friendship of Deepika, the joy of Jevesh, and the support, prayers, and positive thoughts of so many people from all over for Deepika and Jevesh...I cannot change what happened. Nothing I do will ever make things right...but I know this...in the end...I can say I tried...that I did what I could to try and make a differance...and that I will continue to do so for Deepika and anyone else I might be able to help...we have to stand up...even when it is hard...maybe, especially when it is hard.

I will stand in court and speak...I may be a mess, but I will be there.

Troy Hovey made choices...not mistakes...and those choices resulted not only in the death of a wonderful man, but a trail of heatache, sorrow, and anger. Drunk driving is NEVER an accident...the drinker knows before that first sip passes their lips that they have a choice, a choice not to drink, a choice to consume that drink at home with no plans of leaving, a choice to make sure they have a safe ride home...There is absolutely no excuse for driving after drinking...None!

Troy Hovey chose to put lives at risk and ultimately succeeded in the worst possible sense. Judge Glusman gave Hovey an opportunity (despite the fact that I think most people would agree it was a poor decision) to show remorse and to "embrace recovery." Glusman fully expected that he would not see Hovey again...technically, he was right...the judge that would end up seeing Hovey was/is Judge McClean. Hovey has not shown remorse and he has demonstrated, by his deception, that he is not addressing his alcohol addiction/embracing recovery. I do believe that if a man shows this kind of character (or lack thereof for that matter) that one must wonder...if he is willing to deceive the court in one way or two...what else may he be lying about...and worse...whose life/lives is he now putting at risk.

I miss Amit so very much. He should be with his wife and beautiful child, holding them close...instead I can only think of him looking down on them as a guardian angel.

Thank you all for your thoughts, kind words, letters, prayers, etc. It means a great deal and I hope you all know how much that is appreciated. Please feel free to contact me via email if you have further questions or concerns.

August 7th, 2008

This poem is Amit...it embodies who he was and why we are better for having had him touch our hearts and our lives...

The Optimist's Creed

Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you met.

Make all your friends feel there is something in them.

Look at the sunny side of everything.

Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Give everyone a smile.

Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others.

Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.

-Christina D. Larsen

August 6th, 2008 - August 6th, 2009

Please see my other blog: http://strengthlovehope.blogspot.com/

where I share my thoughts and feelings of the last year.

We will have a memorial table set up at this Saturday's Chico Farmer's market where people can share their memories of Amit, well wishes, etc.

Take action today...don't wait until you have one more reason...enough is enough.

June 6th, 2009...10 months

On this, the 10th month since Amit was killed by Troy Hovey, I would like to direct viewers of this blog to view my second blog (http://strengthlovehope.blogspot.com/). At this blog, I have been documenting the ongoing story of Deepika, Amit's beautiful wife and their son, Jevesh. Jevesh was diagnosed with multiple heart defects, no spleen, and malrotated intestines. Jevesh will be 6 months old on the 9th. He has already endured to major heart surgeries, multiple procedures, and has spent more time in a hospital than he has his home.

Deepika has had to struggle every single day with the loss of Amit, all the tragedies that resulted from his loss, and the concerns for her child, keeping the business running, paying the bills, and so on. So many times, the public at large and the media, not only gloss over the sickening deja vu of drunk driving death after drunk driving death, they forget about all the other victims that survive such accidents...the ones that don't die physically but lose a piece of themselves that can never be replaced.

I continue to advocate for change. I believe that individuals should not only be educated about and deterred from driving drunk and action be taken to reduce repeat offenders, the punishment needs to be appropriate to the crime...The victims and the families that survive must suffer and be punished for the rest of their lives...so to should the perpetrators of such crimes, and I do not speak of these criminals and their conscious if they have one, I mean long term punishment. Prison, loss of license, and lifelong community service...I do not believe these are unreasonable requests...and yet thousands of people die each year at the hands of drunk drivers and the perpetrators not only physically walk away from the crime, they legally walk away with minimum sentences and slaps on the wrist.

Please pass on the address of this blog. Please help make a difference. I am looking for assistance to mount a large scale media effort in August for the anniversary of Amit's death, not just for Amit, but for all the victims and survivors that have suffered senselessly.

Six Months...the pain is no less...and the guilty go unpunished

Today, February 6th, marks the 6 month anniversary of the day we lost Amit...The pain is no less...it is still fresh, raw, biting...echoing into the deepest chambers of our hearts. We must not only endure the greatest pain of all, his absence, but we must acidify those open wounds with the travesty of his killer, for all intents and purposes, going free...Amit was not the first, he was not the last, but he was one, one of far too many, stolen from this world, stolen from their families, stolen, from the hearts of their friends and loved ones...and worse yet...these tragedies continue to be ignored. I am one...each of us is one...but...if we each take a stand, take action against these tragedies and the travesties of justice that happen far too often...maybe, just maybe...we can make a difference...maybe we can prevent somone else from having to endure the utter and complete heartache of such a loss...Do something...please...

I am including a copy of the statement that Deepika had read in court...so that you can see the words...hear in those words the pain and heartache of this loss...maybe, if my words cannot inspire...hers can...


There are no words and so many words to express the emotional suffering that Troy Hovey has brought in to my life through the murder of my husband.

I came to this country away from my family and friends to live my life with my love, my husband Amit Tandon in Dec 2007. I am proud to have a person like Amit in my life, proud to be the mother of his baby. Troy Hovey stole a wonderful man not only from my life, but also from the community, from his family, from his friends. Amit Tandon was only 32 years old. He would have become a US Citizen next year. He was a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend, a husband, and in December, he would have been a father to his son. Amit was a successful community member and business man who made Chico a better place. Everyone who met him was better for having him in their lives. He was my love, my life, my partner, my friend, he was my perfection. I must now face the rest of my life without him by my side. I must try and keep our business running without his help, his knowledge and expertise advice, his life. Now, for sure I will breathe but I may not be able to live my life. I have no family around but I am glad that the whole Chico is supporting me in this difficult time.

Initially I was excited, but now I am scared as I know he won't be here with me when I have to rush to the hospital in labor. I will miss him holding my hand in the labor room. I won't be able to share the joy of having my baby with him. It was Amit's dream to bring the baby home in a Mercedes, he was working very hard to make his dream for the baby come true, but now I can't fulfill his first dream for our baby. I must raise my child without him. His son will never get to know the joy of having a father, never get to be held, comforted, taught, teased, and loved by his father. All the kids in the farmer's market used to come to see their "Tomato Bhaji Man". He used to love the kids so much, but he was not fortunate enough to see and play with his own baby, because of Troy's decision to drive under the influence. Amit’s parents will never get to see their son become a father, to see him grow old, to see the success that Amit was achieving. Amit’s niece and nephew will never get to see their beloved Chachu (uncle) ever again, to know him, to have his love in their lives. Amit’s brother will never get to tease him, learn from him, to be with him. The community of Chico has lost an upstanding member of the community who touched so many lives. Amit was loved from Chico, to Redding, to Red Bluff, to Sacramento, to San Jose, To Truckee, to Stockton, to Paradise, to Oroville, to Malaysia, to Dubai, to India…Around the world, we have felt this loss.

Can one even imagine, even begin to imagine what the pain of such a loss can bring to one’s life? On Monday, August 4th, Amit found out that he was going to be father to a baby boy. On Wednesday, August 6th, Amit and I worked in the kitchen to prepare for the markets we would be having that day and for the rest of the week. We laughed and teased each other and then he left to go to his markets. He went to Red Bluff and did his market. On the way home he called, teasing me that he was eating my peaches that he was suppose to be bringing home…He told me to keep his dinner warm and that he would be home shortly…I had made a special treat for to surprise him…nine o’clock came and went with no call and no Amit, time continued to pass…I kept trying to call him, my tension, stress, and worry growing…I went to the kitchen, hoping that he was there unpacking the truck, that maybe his phone was off or that he did not hear it ringing…He was not at the kitchen…My anxiety, stress, and worry continuing to grow…and at midnight, my world was shattered, forever, irreparably…as I learned that my husband, my love, had been killed. There are no words to express the devastation, horror, trauma that one feels in that moment as your heart is torn from your chest and ripped apart, that your body screams out from the devastation, to pray to god that this is not happening, to beg that it is not true, to hope that it is all a nightmare and that they are wrong, that it was someone else, that Amit would come walking through the door at any moment…but he didn’t, he won’t, he never will.

The depression and heartache that I feel is unimaginable. My soul hurts. Ever time I feel a kick of the baby, I remember the excitement on his face when he felt the first kick of our baby. He bought a camera few days before his murder, and told me I want to take the pictures of the growing belly everyday, but it is sitting in the box like that. Amit was so excited about this baby, but now everything has changed. Each day I must wake up and realize that Amit is gone, never to return. Each day, I must face another bill, insurance inquiry, phone call that reminds me that he is gone. Each day questions and tasks that he would have handled were mine to bare. Every doctor appointment that he should have been at, listening to the heartbeat of his child, an appointment that I must have alone, without him to hold my hand and share in the joy and excitement of being new parents, as well as calming the fears of such an event…Each day I look at his pictures, wishing he was here, wishing that this terrible thing had not happened. Each day I must face alone, without the man I loved and each day, I am forced to look at my future, a future without my husband, a future where my child has no father, a future alone.

The devastation, loss, pain, and suffering of such a loss are unimaginable. I never thought that my heart could hurt so much…To literally feel heartache not just in the metaphoric sense, but the literal sense…to feel your soul ache and mourn. There are not enough words in the world, in English, in Hindi, or any other language, to express the pain that Troy Hovey has caused in my life and the life of so many others,

Troy Hovey is a murderer. There is no punishment that is enough to make Troy Hovey atone for his actions. When Troy Hovey chose to consume excess alcohol, chose not to call his wife for a sober ride home, chose not to ask or call a friend for a ride home, chose not to ask a bar patron to give him a ride home, chose not to call a taxi, chose to get behind the wheel of his vehicle, chose to drive drunk at three times the legal Blood Alcohol Content level, chose to drive at speeds that were almost twice the legal posted speed limit (through a school zone), chose to speak on a phone while under the influence and speeding, Troy Hovey, chose to commit murder, not only of an innocent man.....but he also murdered my dreams, to live with my love and my baby's right to live with his father and get all his love and guidance. On August 6th, 2008, it was Amit Tandon that fell victim to the careless, selfish choice of another person, it could have been you or one of your loved ones, on a different night it still may be…

Still Talking

Just wanted to post a link to other commentary regarding this case...please feel free to let me know if there are other discussions regarding this matter...or if there is any information on what can be done to hold Glusman accountable for this tragedy of justice.

http://www.courthouseforum.com/forums/makepost.php