Fatal Tennessee drunk driving crash leads to 8-year sentence
The age of 23 is relatively young, especially when put into context. Eight years accounts for more than one-third of the life that a young Tennessee DUI defendant has lived. He was involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident and faces both civil and criminal penalties for his role in the incident.
In September of 2011, the 23-year-old defendant’s life would change when his actions resulted in the loss of life of a driver who was driving with her children in her vehicle. The kids survived the crash. But the crash left their father seeking justice following his loss.
The civil lawsuit related to the fatal accident ended before the criminal case, the details of which are undisclosed. Reports indicate that the wrongful death case was settled. In a similar strategy, the defendant agreed to a deal regarding the vehicular homicide by intoxication charge.
Earlier this week, he pleaded guilty to the criminal charge, a move that the prosecutor suspects might have been prompted by the defendant’s recent violation of probation. He allegedly was caught using marijuana. Agreeing to a plea deal can sometimes be the most effective way for a defendant to avoid the harshest of sentencing related to his charges.
Sentencing in the case of this young man is eight years in prison. One piece of evidence used against him was a blood-alcohol level measurement of 0.08. Prosecutors as well as the courts love scientific evidence like BAC levels that come in at or above the legal limit. But science isn’t fail-proof, as various incidents of faulty breath tests in particular throughout the country exemplify.
Our Tennessee drunk driving defense attorneys have experience handling all types of cases, from the relatively less serious involving first-time offenses and the more serious cases involving fatal accidents and vehicular homicide charges. Agreeing to a plea deal like the defendant did in this case is not always the best strategy. A criminal defense attorney can help determine what is in the best interest of a defendant.
Source: timesfreepress.com, “Milton Guin III pleads guilty in DUI death,” Todd South, Feb. 12, 2013