NC: Acuna pleads guilty to death by vehicle

[had_enuf]

http://newstopic.net/articles/2006/11/1 ... guilty.txt

Acuna pleads guilty to death by vehicle

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 7:55 AM EST

Joshua Harris, Local News Editor, jharris@newstopic.net

A man charged with driving the vehicle when it crashed and killed a 16-year-old South Caldwell student pleaded guilty in Superior Court Tuesday.

Jose Daniel Acuna, 22, was charged Dec. 1, 2005, with felony death by vehicle, and later indicted on the same charge as well as felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor driving while impaired.

Acuna was driving when he wrecked his Chevrolet Blazer on U.S. 64 near the Alexander County line, according to reports from the N.C. State Highway Patrol. The crash killed 16-year-old Robert Yates Dewey, a South Caldwell High School student.

Lawyers selected the jury for Jose Acuna's trial Monday, but Tuesday morning, Acuna signed a plea agreement.

According to the plea agreement, Acuna pleaded guilty to felony death by vehicle, and the state dismissed the charges of felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor driving while impaired. Also, Acuna agreed to the state's recommendation that he receive an active sentence from the top of the presumptive range, which is 13-16 months in prison.

Acuna has been held in the Caldwell County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond since arrested, and already has served 350 days. Under the sentencing he now has about a month and a half to four and a half months left to serve in prison.

The prosecutor said in court that the analysis of Acuna's blood sample revealed that he had a .16 blood alcohol content, which is twice the legal limit of .08.

According to the Highway Patrol report of the crash, Acuna was driving his Blazer eastbound on U.S. 64 near the Alexander County line when the vehicle ran off the road. Acuna overcorrected onto the roadway and ran off the left side of the road.

The Blazer rolled multiple times and came to rest on the guardrail of the eastbound shoulder, said N.C. State Highway Patrol Trooper Kevin Milligan, who investigated the accident. The 1998 Chevrolet Blazer was traveling approximately 80 miles per hour, Milligan said.

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Although this reporter doesn't indicate the legal status of this person, the original story indicates this is another illegal alien who has taken the life of another American child.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ight=acuna

[nittygritty]

What is to be done, I am so tired of this loss of life?

[had_enuf]

Me, too, Nitty. My heart goes out to the family.

[JAK]

DAILY!!! THE pRESIDENT, CONGRESS, NEWS MEDIA....AND YOU TOO "GREEY BUSINESS'S...

SHOULD BE SO ASHAMED THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN HOLD YOUR HEAD UP!!!!
UNFORTUNATELY...THAT'S THE PROBLEM...YOU HAVE NO SHAME!!!!!

[had_enuf]

Jak, I really don't know how they can sleep at night.

[sippy]

How disgusting and wrong! He only has to serve 13-15 months for that?

I cannot even say what should happen to him, but we're all thinking it.
If that was an American citizen, they would have thrown the book at him.

[sawdust]

This is unacceptable for the family that has lost a son. Where is the judge and prosecutor's consience. So sad!

[Dixie]

DC is not protecting Americans.