After killing her teenaged daughter and injuring several others in a DUI crash, a woman that has a history of DUI arrests claimed not to have problem with alcohol, and was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison, as reported by the Ventura County Star.
Judge Bruce Young sentenced Oxnard resident J.R., 39, in Ventura County Superior Court on October 30.
Members of J.R.'s family, as well as her friends and co-workers, came to the sentencing to show their support. Judge Young added that it was a shame that her supporters hadn't tried to address J.R.'s alcohol problem sooner.
With her legs firmly shackled, J.R. kept her eyes fixed on the defense table and her head lowered during her sentencing.
A jury convicted J.R. this past August of two counts of child endangerment, drunken driving, driving with a suspended driver's license, having a blood-alcohol level of more than the legal limit of 0.08 percent and causing great bodily injury.
The accident occurred on May 29, 2010 in Oxnard. J.R.'s 17 year-old daughter, V.C.R. was killed, her four year old son had his arm broken and her friend, A.D., suffered cuts to her face.
Just five minutes before the fatal crash J.R. made a stop. According to testimony heard in court, he had pulled into a convenience store to purchase beer.
Prosecutor Tate McCallister said that the sentencing report, prepared by the probation department, detailed how J.R. attested to a probation officer that she did not have a problem with alcohol. Due to that "alarming" statement, according to McCallister, a stiffer "punishment had to be laid down."
Attorney John McNamara from the Public Defender's Office, represented J.R. McNamara said that his client had always taken responsibility for the death of her daughter. But the attorney had also said he felt "something wrong with the road" that was a key factor in the accident.
McNamara added, "Any parent would know how badly Ms. (J.R.) feels."
Earlier in the evening of the crash J.R. allegedly attended a party in Nyeland Acres and, according to testimony, was seen consuming beer. From the party, she drove her passengers toward Santa Paula.
The convenience store's video surveillance footage shows J.R. purchasing the beer five minutes before she crashed her sport utility vehicle.
She had been driving with a suspended license.
Her previous arrests include a suspicion of DUI arrest in 2007, a jury found her guilty of DUI in another 2007 incident, and a 2004 DUI conviction.
In 2007 she was arrested but failed to appear in court. A warrant had been issued for her arrest.
Judge Young sentenced J.R. to a year in prison for the 2007 DUI conviction – but gave her credit for time already served.
Whether this is your first or your latest DUI arrest you need to contact a DUI attorney to best represent you. Only a DUI attorney can best defend charges stemming from DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI.