In a follow-up to a post about a DUI manslaughter trial involving the death of a teenage girl, the case looks to be coming to a close today.
After several days of testimony, both the state and the defense will deliver their closing arguments to the jury. The evidence in the trial consisted of testimony of the victim's father, who described the crash that cut his minivan in half, resulting in the immediate death of his 13 year-old daughter.
Expert testimony showed that the accused's blood-alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit.
As well, a county engineer showed that the accused ran a red light while driving in the busway, a lane where civilian driving is prohibited.
The defense raised the possibility that the crash investigation was conducted poorly and that evidence had been destroyed.
The accused faces charges of DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident causing death, along with some additional charges. If found guilty the accused faces 30 years in prison.
Based upon the evidence, it is pretty clear that the state has satisfied its burden of proving the accused guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I fully expect a quick guilty verdict on all counts.
For those accused of crimes, it is best to exhaust all avenues of resolution prior to going to trial, especially when the evidence is not on your side.
No word on whether there was a decent plea offer from the state. In a case like this, I couldn't imagine an offer of less than 15 years, which is probably why the accused felt forced to take his case to trial.
A tragedy across the board. The death of a young girl and a man who has likely destroyed his life over one poor decision.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney representing clients charged with DUI and hit-and-run offenses in Miami-Dade and Broward.