Lengthy Prison Term Expected in DUI Manslaughter Case
It wasn’t your average car accident. It wasn’t even an average DUI case, to the extent there is such a thing. An El Cajon DUI Story.
Our starting point is, not surprisingly, drinking and driving, although the details of the events leading up to the accident are a bit sketchy. In any event, it was around 3:45 a.m. when the defendant, Jason Palmer, got behind the wheel of a borrowed SUV. That’s when the trouble began. What happened, according to police reports, is that Palmer, for reasons unknown, swerved in his vehicle, running up on a sidewalk, and striking a pedestrian, a 20-year old man who was walking home from work. The man was killed, and Palmer allegedly fled from the scene.
Picking the defendant up to arrest him after the crash didn’t require rocket science; one of the license plates from the SUV was knocked off in the accident, and remained at the scene. From that point on, things got even worse for Palmer.
Most people are aware that your prior criminal history plays a role – often a large role – in sentencing on new charges. With regard to Palmer, here’s what his history looks like:
In 2000, he was convicted of misdemeanor DUI and hit-and-run.
Palmer also has prior felony convictions for attempted robbery, burglary, receiving stolen property, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
About two weeks after he was released from his last stint in prison, and while still under the supervision of the Probation Department, he struck the pedestrian while driving in El Cajon.
At his arraignment, Palmer pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, as well as hit-and-run causing death. Last week he changed his plea to guilty on the manslaughter charge. He is expected to be sentenced to 30 years in prison when he appears back in court next month.
We bring this up to illustrate several things. First, we have long since passed the point where the penalty for drunk driving is a slap on the wrist. Even a first time DUI can lead to a mountain of trouble lasting well into your future. Second, once you get behind the wheel while under the influence, there is no telling the disaster that might await you. Finally, having a criminal conviction on your record can haunt you for the rest of your life. Read more here.
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