Chronic Drunk Driver Guilty Of Killing Woman Gets 15 Years
A man found guilty of drunk driving in San Bernardino, who slammed his car at high speed into a 22-year-old woman crushing and killing her, has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, according to this news report. Susanna Rey was reportedly unloading gift wrapping paper from the trunk of her car when 35-year-old John Linares Cuellar crashed his Dodge pickup into her.
Cuellar had two prior misdemeanor drunk driving convictions and was on probation during this DUI incident Dec. 6, 2004. Cuellar pleaded guilty on May 16 to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Repeat DUI offenders are at risk for the strictest DUI penalties. First-time offenders who get charged with misdemeanor DUIs often get away with probation or alternative sentencing such as community service. But repeat offenders, especially those who get into accidents where people are killed, run the risk of getting a lengthy prison sentence – as in Cuellar’s case. Major injury DUI cases or fatal DUI accidents in California are always treated as felonies and prison time is a given in these cases.
If you have been arrested on suspicion of a felony DUI, you need a competent, experienced and knowledgeable DUI defense attorney on your side who can thoroughly investigate the facts and look at all sides of the story. A good criminal defense attorney will look into whether an arrest violated your 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure; whether the police explained your right to be silent (Miranda rights) before you were questioned; and whether there was a proper chain of custody for any evidence seized.
If you or someone you know has been charged with a felony DUI, call the San Diego DUI defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Brodsky for a free consultation as soon as possible. We may be able to get you an acquittal, reduce charges, keep you out of jail and get you the help you need.
