WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — A plea deal labored out by prosecutors and attorneys for an 18-year-old accused of killing 4 individuals in a crash final yr has been rejected by the decide.
On Monday, Palm Beach Circuit Judge Howard Coates stated the 10-year jail sentence is just too lenient and informed the attorneys to both attain a brand new deal for Christopher Garrett Jr. or put together to go to trial.
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“We’re talking about four deaths. We’re talking about four destroyed families, and I just have some real issues with only a 10-year sentence,” the decide stated.
Garrett was 17 final July when police stated he stole a sports activities utility automobile from Rapids Water Park and drove at speeds reaching greater than 100 mph. He ran a pink mild and slammed into one other SUV that was making a flip.
The state lawyer’s workplace selected to prosecute Garrett as an grownup. He faces fees of vehicular murder, DUI manslaughter and grand theft for his function within the July 2021 high-speed crash that killed Jay’Oni Leonard, 14, Alexia Simpson, 17, Elizabeth Anderson, 62, and George Nienhouse, 65.
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West Palm Beach police had noticed the automobile and tried to cease it earlier than figuring out the chase had turn out to be too harmful, in line with law-enforcement information.
Under the settlement, Garrett would have pleaded responsible to 2 counts every of DUI manslaughter and vehicular murder and one depend of grand theft auto. His driver’s license would have additionally been revoked.
The subsequent listening to within the case is scheduled for Sept. 27.
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