A 28-year-old Covina man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of murder that stem from a drunken driving crash, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Alan Michael McConnell faces 15 years to life in prison when he returns to court for sentencing April 22, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Telassie Dague, 22, and Renee Hardy, 20, both of Alta Loma died in the Jan. 23, 2010 crash. They were passengers in the car McConnell was driving.
McConnell lost control of the car and careened into a center divider, according to the DA's Office.
He allegedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.15 and was trying to flee from the scene of a minor collision he had with another car earlier in the evening, according to the DA's Office.
SOURCE
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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Texas House votes to ban texting while driving
AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers tentatively approved a statewide ban against texting while driving, saying the practice is a hazard more dangerous than drunken driving.
The legislation would ban text, electronic and instant messaging by a motorist while driving. It would not apply when a driver is stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. Violations could lead to a Class C misdemeanor charge and a fine of up to $200.
"The key to this is, a lot of people are being killed because of texting," said Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, author of HB 243. "It's a function of safety and saving people's lives. That's what it's all about."
His bill won preliminary approval, 124-16. Lawmakers who opposed the measure cited privacy and civil liberty concerns.
The House must take one more vote on Friday, and the Senate also must approve the legislation before the statewide ban on texting while driving takes effect on Sept. 1, 2011.
Craddick, a former House speaker, acknowledged that some critics fear that a ban against texting and driving could erode their rights.
But Craddick countered, "Driving is not a right. Driving is a responsibility and a privilege."
Citing research, Craddick said texting while driving is 20 times more dangerous than drunken driving.
Some Texas communities, including San Antonio, already have local ordinances banning the practice. A total of 30 states also have such bans.
The proposed statewide ban against texting is similar to San Antonio's ordinance. However, the statewide measure would allow motorists to read text messages and to send messages while stopped at traffic lights or stop signs - something the San Antonio ordinance prohibits.
Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, has pushed a statewide ban on texting while driving for several legislative sessions.
"It's important that the state have a (uniform) standard - just like standard seatbelt laws," Menendez said. "It also makes the state, as a whole, safer."
A texting-while-driving ban also will play an important role in driver education and training for teenage drivers, he said.
"That's the key, because they're the ones who are texting more than anybody," Menendez said.
He and Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, co-sponsored the bill.
Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, cast the only dissenting vote among Bexar County members.
"Basically, I like to see government stay out of people's lives," Larson said. "It's also an issue of enforcement. I don't see how they can adequately enforce that."
Larson also noted that drivers engage in many other types of distractions, such as eating food or applying makeup.
"I don't think we should allow the government to get into our lives to that degree," he said.
SOURCE
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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
The legislation would ban text, electronic and instant messaging by a motorist while driving. It would not apply when a driver is stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. Violations could lead to a Class C misdemeanor charge and a fine of up to $200.
"The key to this is, a lot of people are being killed because of texting," said Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, author of HB 243. "It's a function of safety and saving people's lives. That's what it's all about."
His bill won preliminary approval, 124-16. Lawmakers who opposed the measure cited privacy and civil liberty concerns.
The House must take one more vote on Friday, and the Senate also must approve the legislation before the statewide ban on texting while driving takes effect on Sept. 1, 2011.
Craddick, a former House speaker, acknowledged that some critics fear that a ban against texting and driving could erode their rights.
But Craddick countered, "Driving is not a right. Driving is a responsibility and a privilege."
Citing research, Craddick said texting while driving is 20 times more dangerous than drunken driving.
Some Texas communities, including San Antonio, already have local ordinances banning the practice. A total of 30 states also have such bans.
The proposed statewide ban against texting is similar to San Antonio's ordinance. However, the statewide measure would allow motorists to read text messages and to send messages while stopped at traffic lights or stop signs - something the San Antonio ordinance prohibits.
Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, has pushed a statewide ban on texting while driving for several legislative sessions.
"It's important that the state have a (uniform) standard - just like standard seatbelt laws," Menendez said. "It also makes the state, as a whole, safer."
A texting-while-driving ban also will play an important role in driver education and training for teenage drivers, he said.
"That's the key, because they're the ones who are texting more than anybody," Menendez said.
He and Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, co-sponsored the bill.
Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, cast the only dissenting vote among Bexar County members.
"Basically, I like to see government stay out of people's lives," Larson said. "It's also an issue of enforcement. I don't see how they can adequately enforce that."
Larson also noted that drivers engage in many other types of distractions, such as eating food or applying makeup.
"I don't think we should allow the government to get into our lives to that degree," he said.
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Elderly drunk driver who killed two passengers jailed 4 years
Eric Kannstadter has led a long, decent life, except for one problem — his drinking.
“A functioning alcoholic,” he doesn’t drink constantly but finds it hard to stop at one glass.
He’s often the last to leave the bar or a party. He’s tried and failed at treatment programs.
So it was with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood that the then 70-year-old retiree set out in his Hyundai Elantra on a Friday morning 3 ½ years ago to drive two elderly ladies, fellow residents in an Etobicoke seniors’ home, for their customary shopping trip.
They were almost safely home when he misjudged a curve on Bergamot Ave., near Islington Ave. and Rexdale Blvd., and slammed head-on into an oncoming TTC bus, killing the two women.
Laura Dupuis, 82, and her friend Eileen Broadhurst, 81, were rushed to hospital, where they died within days.
On Thursday, the frail 73-year-old man stood unsteadily as Ontario Superior Court Justice David Aston sentenced him to four years in prison.
The judge also banned him from driving for life, a penalty he didn’t oppose.
The judge, who received victim impact statements from Dupuis’s family, said he was struck by the magnitude of their loss.
“Laura Dupuis was a huge and important part of many lives,” he said.
In a trial earlier this year, Aston found Kannstadter guilty of impaired driving and two counts of impaired driving causing death.
A woman testified that Kannstadter drank a scotch at about 11 p.m. the night before the Oct. 19, 2007 accident. “I have a strong suspicion that Mr. Kannstadter did not leave it at one drink that night,” Aston said.
However, the judge in his ruling also said that: “He was a good provider for his family and maintained gainful employment before his retirement.
“Mr. Kannstadter was a productive member of society for many years and supported his family before retirement. His son says, ‘Alcoholism never made him a bad father,’” the judge noted in his ruling.
Crown prosecutor Patrick Travers sought a seven-year penitentiary sentence, noting Kannstadter’s previous convictions.
One is for driving over the legal alcohol limit and another is for careless driving in which alcohol may have played a role.
Defence lawyer David North asked for two or three years in jail, noting that his client, who uses a walker and has suffered a stroke, is approaching the end of his life.
The judge noted that Kannstadter has expressed remorse, apologizing to the families.
But Aston observed that “there is a world of difference between regret over the outcome of what happened that day and regret that he did not act differently at the time.”
Perhaps Kannstadter has difficulty accepting responsibility because he has no memory of the collision, owing to the head injury he sustained, the judge said.
Outside court, Dupuis’s family recalled an energetic, thoughtful mother of six, who had worked for many years for the Scott Mission and was still a volunteer with a food bank.
“I’m content with the sentence,” said one of her daughters, Linda Cowles, adding that the family was concerned that Kannstadter should never again get behind the wheel.
“Hopefully this sends the message to people that drink and drive,” said another daughter, Melanie Cole.
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
“A functioning alcoholic,” he doesn’t drink constantly but finds it hard to stop at one glass.
He’s often the last to leave the bar or a party. He’s tried and failed at treatment programs.
So it was with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood that the then 70-year-old retiree set out in his Hyundai Elantra on a Friday morning 3 ½ years ago to drive two elderly ladies, fellow residents in an Etobicoke seniors’ home, for their customary shopping trip.
They were almost safely home when he misjudged a curve on Bergamot Ave., near Islington Ave. and Rexdale Blvd., and slammed head-on into an oncoming TTC bus, killing the two women.
Laura Dupuis, 82, and her friend Eileen Broadhurst, 81, were rushed to hospital, where they died within days.
On Thursday, the frail 73-year-old man stood unsteadily as Ontario Superior Court Justice David Aston sentenced him to four years in prison.
The judge also banned him from driving for life, a penalty he didn’t oppose.
The judge, who received victim impact statements from Dupuis’s family, said he was struck by the magnitude of their loss.
“Laura Dupuis was a huge and important part of many lives,” he said.
In a trial earlier this year, Aston found Kannstadter guilty of impaired driving and two counts of impaired driving causing death.
A woman testified that Kannstadter drank a scotch at about 11 p.m. the night before the Oct. 19, 2007 accident. “I have a strong suspicion that Mr. Kannstadter did not leave it at one drink that night,” Aston said.
However, the judge in his ruling also said that: “He was a good provider for his family and maintained gainful employment before his retirement.
“Mr. Kannstadter was a productive member of society for many years and supported his family before retirement. His son says, ‘Alcoholism never made him a bad father,’” the judge noted in his ruling.
Crown prosecutor Patrick Travers sought a seven-year penitentiary sentence, noting Kannstadter’s previous convictions.
One is for driving over the legal alcohol limit and another is for careless driving in which alcohol may have played a role.
Defence lawyer David North asked for two or three years in jail, noting that his client, who uses a walker and has suffered a stroke, is approaching the end of his life.
The judge noted that Kannstadter has expressed remorse, apologizing to the families.
But Aston observed that “there is a world of difference between regret over the outcome of what happened that day and regret that he did not act differently at the time.”
Perhaps Kannstadter has difficulty accepting responsibility because he has no memory of the collision, owing to the head injury he sustained, the judge said.
Outside court, Dupuis’s family recalled an energetic, thoughtful mother of six, who had worked for many years for the Scott Mission and was still a volunteer with a food bank.
“I’m content with the sentence,” said one of her daughters, Linda Cowles, adding that the family was concerned that Kannstadter should never again get behind the wheel.
“Hopefully this sends the message to people that drink and drive,” said another daughter, Melanie Cole.
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Driver gets 5 years in death of Ellicott City woman, 68
A 23-year-old woman was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for killing an Ellicott City woman while driving home drunk from a July 2010 pool party.
It was Alison Lesley Walsh’s second drunken driving offense.
“She’s young, however, she comes to you as a subsequent offender, we cannot lose sight of that,” Howard County Assistant State’s Attorney Claude de Vastey Jones told Circuit Court Judge Diane O. Leasure.
According to prosecutors, Walsh, of Owings Mills, had a blood alcohol level of .17 — more than twice the legal limit — when her 2005 Honda Civic rear-ended a 2005 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle as Walsh approached a red light on Route 40 at Marriottsville Road in Ellicott City at 8:10 p.m. last July 11.
The collision sent the bike across the roadway and into the median, killing Cecilia Ann Amato, 68, and injuring her husband Antonio Joseph Amato, then 74.
Walsh pled guilty to negligent vehicular manslaughter on Feb. 11.
According to Jones, Walsh completed probation for an unrelated 2008 drunk driving offense in Carroll County just six months before the July collision.
Cecilia Amato’s children, Tina and Joe Amato, said that the events of July 11 haunt them daily.
“We relive the alarming phone call. ... We relive the growing concern as we imagine our mother confused, injured,” said Tina Amato, 42, at the sentencing hearing Thursday. “Our loss is part of our family history and we carry it with us as we search for normalcy.”
Walsh said her life, too, had radically changed.
“For the past nine months my reality has been a nightmare,” Walsh said. “Mrs. Amato will forever be a part of me and I hope to make her proud through my sobriety.”
According to her defense attorney, Paul Mark Sandler, Walsh has struggled with alcohol abuse and clinical depression since she was 15. Her problems began, Sandler said, as a method of coping with her father’s unexpected death.
Sandler argued that the state’s recommended sentence, five years at a state prison, was too lengthy. He also questioned the wisdom of sending Walsh to the Department of Corrections as opposed to the Howard County Detention Center.
“Were she sentenced to life imprisonment, it could not undo the tragedy. Nothing could,” he told Leasure. “Look at this young lady and think about (her) problems, ... what happens to her when she goes to the Department of Corrections?”
He suggested that Walsh serve an 18-month prison term at the county jail, followed by a period of house arrest.
Jones, however, said that an 18-month term would not be appropriate, given Walsh’s 2008 drunk driving offense, and Leasure agreed.
“This is a second offense, and I can’t overlook that,” the judge said.
During the fall of 2010, two individuals who killed someone while driving drunk were sentenced to 18 months at the county jail, but neither had previous DUIs.
Jones also said that while Walsh may suffer from depression, that “should not overshadow” the pain of the Amato family.
Both children said their mother’s death was an unending loss.
Joe Amato, 45, told Leasure that his mother’s absence was also a blow to his 3-year-old son, Anthony, who spent countless hours with his grandmother.
“All of her focus and energy went into him,” he said. “Yet we have to worry he will have no memory of who she was.”
After the hearing, Amato said that sentencing guidelines for drunk driving deaths are not adequate.
“The bigger picture, for me, is that it just seems like people, particularly someone who has a previous offense, should probably get a stiffer sentence,” he said.
Walsh probably will serve only about one-third of her sentence and be released on parole, according to both attorneys in the case.
SOURCE
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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
It was Alison Lesley Walsh’s second drunken driving offense.
“She’s young, however, she comes to you as a subsequent offender, we cannot lose sight of that,” Howard County Assistant State’s Attorney Claude de Vastey Jones told Circuit Court Judge Diane O. Leasure.
According to prosecutors, Walsh, of Owings Mills, had a blood alcohol level of .17 — more than twice the legal limit — when her 2005 Honda Civic rear-ended a 2005 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle as Walsh approached a red light on Route 40 at Marriottsville Road in Ellicott City at 8:10 p.m. last July 11.
The collision sent the bike across the roadway and into the median, killing Cecilia Ann Amato, 68, and injuring her husband Antonio Joseph Amato, then 74.
Walsh pled guilty to negligent vehicular manslaughter on Feb. 11.
According to Jones, Walsh completed probation for an unrelated 2008 drunk driving offense in Carroll County just six months before the July collision.
Cecilia Amato’s children, Tina and Joe Amato, said that the events of July 11 haunt them daily.
“We relive the alarming phone call. ... We relive the growing concern as we imagine our mother confused, injured,” said Tina Amato, 42, at the sentencing hearing Thursday. “Our loss is part of our family history and we carry it with us as we search for normalcy.”
Walsh said her life, too, had radically changed.
“For the past nine months my reality has been a nightmare,” Walsh said. “Mrs. Amato will forever be a part of me and I hope to make her proud through my sobriety.”
According to her defense attorney, Paul Mark Sandler, Walsh has struggled with alcohol abuse and clinical depression since she was 15. Her problems began, Sandler said, as a method of coping with her father’s unexpected death.
Sandler argued that the state’s recommended sentence, five years at a state prison, was too lengthy. He also questioned the wisdom of sending Walsh to the Department of Corrections as opposed to the Howard County Detention Center.
“Were she sentenced to life imprisonment, it could not undo the tragedy. Nothing could,” he told Leasure. “Look at this young lady and think about (her) problems, ... what happens to her when she goes to the Department of Corrections?”
He suggested that Walsh serve an 18-month prison term at the county jail, followed by a period of house arrest.
Jones, however, said that an 18-month term would not be appropriate, given Walsh’s 2008 drunk driving offense, and Leasure agreed.
“This is a second offense, and I can’t overlook that,” the judge said.
During the fall of 2010, two individuals who killed someone while driving drunk were sentenced to 18 months at the county jail, but neither had previous DUIs.
Jones also said that while Walsh may suffer from depression, that “should not overshadow” the pain of the Amato family.
Both children said their mother’s death was an unending loss.
Joe Amato, 45, told Leasure that his mother’s absence was also a blow to his 3-year-old son, Anthony, who spent countless hours with his grandmother.
“All of her focus and energy went into him,” he said. “Yet we have to worry he will have no memory of who she was.”
After the hearing, Amato said that sentencing guidelines for drunk driving deaths are not adequate.
“The bigger picture, for me, is that it just seems like people, particularly someone who has a previous offense, should probably get a stiffer sentence,” he said.
Walsh probably will serve only about one-third of her sentence and be released on parole, according to both attorneys in the case.
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Man Sentenced for Drunk Driving Wreck that Killed Campbell Co. Teacher
Campbell Co., VA - The man who drove drunk and killed a Campbell County teacher now knows how long he will spend behind bars.
Mark Elliott pleaded guilty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter and DUI in January.
On Thursday morning, a judge sentenced him to five years in prison.
In March of last year, Elliott had been drinking when he tried to pass a car on Leesville Road and hit another car head-on.
Hermione Stickle-Womack, 62, was killed. She taught Spanish at Rustburg Middle and High School.
SOURCE
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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Mark Elliott pleaded guilty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter and DUI in January.
On Thursday morning, a judge sentenced him to five years in prison.
In March of last year, Elliott had been drinking when he tried to pass a car on Leesville Road and hit another car head-on.
Hermione Stickle-Womack, 62, was killed. She taught Spanish at Rustburg Middle and High School.
SOURCE
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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Students get a lesson on the dangers of drunk driving
Andrew Tipton says he had to learn the hard way.
"When you're there it's the worst feeling in the world," he said.
In high school Tipton lost two of his best friends to a drunk driving accident.
"I couldn't control myself, I lost everything and no one was really supportive of me at the time so it really hurt and was really hard," he recalled.
Now he's using his past to prevent others from going through the same pain.
"Almost everywhere we go, almost every day, there's one student, soldier or one teacher, somebody that will come up to me and say thank you for doing this," he said.
Tipton travels the world with the Save A Life Tour, educating high school students, soldiers and communities about the dangers of drunk driving. Thursday the tour visited Mill River Union High School.
Students tested a drunk driving simulator which acts in many ways like a real car except that an instructor can change the DUI level.
This is the first year the tour visited Rutland, made possible by several community donations, and a large donation from Vermont State troopers who came to help educate. Aside from the simulator, students tried a series of sobriety tests using drunk goggles, and while it may look funny organizers say the hands-on experience helps.
"You can talk about what it's like to be impaired but something like this really shows the kids and they get a real feel for how different it is," Principal Andy Pomeroy said.
"Underage drinking is an issue unfortunately, it's something we work on every day," said Tina Coltey of the Rutland Area Prevention Coalition.
This event comes three weeks after a fatal accident killed two Rutland area high schoolers, one attended Mill River Union his freshman year.
"It's devastating when you're young to lose someone who's a friend of yours," Pomeroy said.
The accident happened on Cold River Road March 18. Police have not confirmed if alcohol was a factor, though it was found on scene.
"It's really bad that tragedy has to open people's eyes, but people learn through consequences," Tipton said.
Tipton knows tragedy all too well. He's hoping Thursday's- tour can steer at least one student in the right direction.
If you'd like to participate in the Save A Life Tour the simulation will be set up Friday at the Diamond Run Mall in Rutland. The tour is aimed at college students but anyone in the community is welcome to attend.
SOURCE
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Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
"When you're there it's the worst feeling in the world," he said.
In high school Tipton lost two of his best friends to a drunk driving accident.
"I couldn't control myself, I lost everything and no one was really supportive of me at the time so it really hurt and was really hard," he recalled.
Now he's using his past to prevent others from going through the same pain.
"Almost everywhere we go, almost every day, there's one student, soldier or one teacher, somebody that will come up to me and say thank you for doing this," he said.
Tipton travels the world with the Save A Life Tour, educating high school students, soldiers and communities about the dangers of drunk driving. Thursday the tour visited Mill River Union High School.
Students tested a drunk driving simulator which acts in many ways like a real car except that an instructor can change the DUI level.
This is the first year the tour visited Rutland, made possible by several community donations, and a large donation from Vermont State troopers who came to help educate. Aside from the simulator, students tried a series of sobriety tests using drunk goggles, and while it may look funny organizers say the hands-on experience helps.
"You can talk about what it's like to be impaired but something like this really shows the kids and they get a real feel for how different it is," Principal Andy Pomeroy said.
"Underage drinking is an issue unfortunately, it's something we work on every day," said Tina Coltey of the Rutland Area Prevention Coalition.
This event comes three weeks after a fatal accident killed two Rutland area high schoolers, one attended Mill River Union his freshman year.
"It's devastating when you're young to lose someone who's a friend of yours," Pomeroy said.
The accident happened on Cold River Road March 18. Police have not confirmed if alcohol was a factor, though it was found on scene.
"It's really bad that tragedy has to open people's eyes, but people learn through consequences," Tipton said.
Tipton knows tragedy all too well. He's hoping Thursday's- tour can steer at least one student in the right direction.
If you'd like to participate in the Save A Life Tour the simulation will be set up Friday at the Diamond Run Mall in Rutland. The tour is aimed at college students but anyone in the community is welcome to attend.
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Parents of Brooklyn man killed in DWI crash
The merciful parents of a promising Brooklyn man mowed down by a boozed-up driver asked his killer Thursday to honor their son's legacy by teaching students about the perils of drunken driving.
Michael Ortiz, 22, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and DWI in the 2008 death of Fred Malcolm McCormack, accepting a unique no-jail deal that requires him to speak at 100 high schools.
"Don't let us down," Fred McCormack Sr. told Ortiz during the courtroom appearance. "Make something real good with your life and we will support you."
A tearful Fay McCormack - a Georgia prosecutor who spent her career putting drunken drivers behind bars - told the court how difficult it was to spare the one who took her son's life.
"I wanted to feed him to the dogs," she said, then recalled how her daughter and ex-husband convinced her otherwise.
"I am hoping that with this plea today and with the generosity of my family, [Ortiz] will keep Malcolm's memory," she said.
Ortiz briefly answered the judge's questions in Brooklyn Supreme Court, admitting to drinking two orange liqueurs before getting behind the wheel and hitting McCormack as he crossed a busy East New York boulevard.
"This was a great outcome," said defense lawyer Eric Franz, noting that prosecutors had a weak case because his client showed no evidence of intoxication after the crash, but instead called 911 and remained at the scene.
As part of the deal, Ortiz must attend 50 meetings with relatives of drunken-driving victims and must sit down with the McCormacks after the hearing, when he tearfully apologizes. If he completes the program, his felony will be expunged.
Speaking in court before her parents, Francia McCormack Wilson portrayed her brother, who died at 28, as a gifted musician, a computer whiz and aspiring lawyer all rolled into one.
"Justice to me," she concluded, "is seeing Michael honoring my brother by teaching people how to be better."
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
Michael Ortiz, 22, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and DWI in the 2008 death of Fred Malcolm McCormack, accepting a unique no-jail deal that requires him to speak at 100 high schools.
"Don't let us down," Fred McCormack Sr. told Ortiz during the courtroom appearance. "Make something real good with your life and we will support you."
A tearful Fay McCormack - a Georgia prosecutor who spent her career putting drunken drivers behind bars - told the court how difficult it was to spare the one who took her son's life.
"I wanted to feed him to the dogs," she said, then recalled how her daughter and ex-husband convinced her otherwise.
"I am hoping that with this plea today and with the generosity of my family, [Ortiz] will keep Malcolm's memory," she said.
Ortiz briefly answered the judge's questions in Brooklyn Supreme Court, admitting to drinking two orange liqueurs before getting behind the wheel and hitting McCormack as he crossed a busy East New York boulevard.
"This was a great outcome," said defense lawyer Eric Franz, noting that prosecutors had a weak case because his client showed no evidence of intoxication after the crash, but instead called 911 and remained at the scene.
As part of the deal, Ortiz must attend 50 meetings with relatives of drunken-driving victims and must sit down with the McCormacks after the hearing, when he tearfully apologizes. If he completes the program, his felony will be expunged.
Speaking in court before her parents, Francia McCormack Wilson portrayed her brother, who died at 28, as a gifted musician, a computer whiz and aspiring lawyer all rolled into one.
"Justice to me," she concluded, "is seeing Michael honoring my brother by teaching people how to be better."
SOURCE
----
Business owners and entrepreneurs who own any social venue and who are looking to start a cash business can now do there part in the prevention of Drunk Driving. Please visit alcobuddy.com. World's premiere Breathalyzer Vending Machine for more information.
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