After more than 5 million signed a petition, and truckers considered boycotts, Colorado’s governor reduced the 110-year prison sentence of a driver involved in a tragic accident.
“The length of your 110-year sentence is simply not commensurate with your actions, nor with penalties handed down to others for similar crimes. There is an urgency to remedy this unjust sentence and restore confidence in the uniformity and fairness of our criminal justice system, and consequently, I have chosen to commute your sentence now,” Gov. Jared Polis stated in a letter. “I am commuting your sentence to 10 years and granting you parole eligibility on December 30, 2026,”
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos collided with bottlenecked traffic on I-70 outside Denver and was reportedly unable to stop his tractor-trailer due to brake failure. Aguilera-Mederos was not an independent trucker, and many in the industry remain unclear why the company he worked for was not taken to task over deflective equipment. Instead, prosecutors cited errors the 26-year-old Cuban-born American may have made during the crisis. Four people lost their lives in the fiery crash, and others were injured.
Colorado district attorneys charged the relatively inexperienced CDL holder with wide-reaching charges such as assault that did not necessarily sync with the incident. After persuading a jury the fatalities could have been avoided, mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines forced Denver District Court Judge Bruce Jones to hand down consecutive sentences totaling 110 years begrudgingly.
“I will state that if I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence,” Judge Jones reportedly said at sentencing.
Judge Jones made his sentiments clear that the state should consider a review and reduction. Public outcry for the seemingly unjust sentence prompted District Attorney Alexis King to agree, and she reportedly sought a reduction to 20-30 years. With a hearing set for Jan. 13, Judge Jones appears miffed the governor intervened without informing him first.
“The court respects the authority of the Governor to do so,” Judge Jones reportedly stated regarding the commutation. “Based on the timing of the decision, however, it appears this respect is not mutual.”
At least one of the victim’s family members agreed with Judge Jones that the judicial branch, and not the governor’s office, should decide the fate of Aguilera-Mederos. Duane Bailey, whose 67-year-old brother, William Bailey, died in the crash, expressed frustration.
“This was not an accident. It was a series of decisions on the part of the driver that caused deaths. The jury heard the evidence and convicted him,” Bailey reportedly said. “We thought the governor should stay out of it. We thought the governor was too impatient. He only had to wait two weeks. He should have let the process play out.”
The 5 million who signed petitions and truckers who stood behind Aguilera-Mederos may sympathize with family members who lost someone in the tragic accident. But everyday people widely agree that a sober driver involved in a tragic accident with no criminal intent doesn’t deserve a life sentence.
Sources: denverpost.com, wsj.com
The driver is guilty he had brakes all day just another driver who didn’t know what he was doing