A 110-year prison sentence given to a truck driver whose breaks failed, causing a fatal crash two years ago, has sparked an outcry from millions, including the judge who presided over his case.
Now, days later, a Colorado DA is asking for a judge to review the life sentence handed down to 26-year-old Rogel Aguilera-Mederos.
As Business Insider reports:
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was convicted on 27 counts in the crash, which killed four people in Jefferson County, Colorado. During sentencing on December 13, Judge A. Bruce Jones said state law required the sentences for those counts to be served consecutively, leading to a 110-year prison term.
SEE ALSO: Multiple Dems Carjacked. Will Party Finally Disavow Defund Police Wing?
More than 4.6 million people have since signed a petition asking Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to grant Aguilera-Mederos clemency. Kim Kardashian also urged Polis to commute Aguilera-Mederos' sentence on Twitter.
Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King filed a motion Tuesday asking a judge to review Aguilera-Mederos' sentence. The motion requested an expedited hearing as soon as December 24.
“The purpose for the People's expedited request is so that the named victims in the case, as well as their families, have an opportunity to be heard by the trial court who is fully aware of the facts of the case,” the motion reads.
SEE ALSO: Cheney Raises Possibility of Criminal Charges Against Trump
One of the prosecutors in the case faced an intense backlash on social media for posting a photo of a brake shoe from a semi-truck along with a plaque she received after Aguilera-Mederos' conviction.
At the same time, a movement of truck drivers upset over the sentence has blossomed on social media, especially TikTok. The truckers say they won't drive through Colorado unless Gov. Polis commutes part of Aguilera-Mederos' sentence.
SEE ALSO: Chris Cuomo's Ex-Producer Arrested for Allegedly Luring Girl to His Vermont Cabin
So, what do you think? Not to take anything away from the victims, but was this sentence fair — particularly when a man will die in prison for a crime without malicious intent (as prosecutors admitted)?
The people guilty are the ones that do maintenance on the trucks. Not serving any good by keeping him in prison. Take away his driver license and let him find another job.
Trucks have mechanical failure all the time. and it happens in a flash. The article doesn’t say if the truck was owned by the driver or by a company. If by a company it should have been checked, if owned by the driver, he is responsible for making sure the truck has it’s parts working. Saying that brand new vehicles have had failures and you can’t always tell if a part if failing or not any ways. The problem might be there were four people killed not just one. It is an accident and that should be the responsibility of his insurance company. The driver apparently didn’t have the accident with intent, he wasn’t drunk or on something, he climbed into the truck figuring everything was working and the part being a very serious part failed and took control of the truck which the driver no longer had control of the truck. This is not a murder case when it obviously is being treated as a murder. It is an accident and should be under an insurance law sue in court not a murder in court. If it was brake failure what were the 27 counts. He intended for the brake failure 27 times. What were the 27 counts.
Now you’re responsible if you vehicle breaches a part as you drive it.
110 years worth. If you vehicle has just been serviced, N ow a Mechanic my have missed something can be held responsible too. Will they give him 110 years, just like this driver?
Apparently a lot of people missed the fact he had multiple opportunities to get the rig stopped. You can see in some videos he was going uphill at one time and also didn’t use a run off area. Semis have air brakes, if you lose air pressure the brakes lock, tailer brakes can be locked manually. So going uphill, push in the vlutch and hit the trailer brakes. He killed 4 people so yes 110 years is not harsh.
The driver should have used the runaway trucks ramps.
He chose not to use them. Choices have consequences. Bad choices have bad consequences.
How would you feel if your family member was killed and the driver got 2.5 years in prison for it? (2.5 x 4 people killed.).
Ohhh…that’s ok. He didn’t mean it… BS!
And for those calling for the maintenance people and others to be punished…for sure! Even the state DMV for allowing non-english speakers to drive in our state. If they can’t read the signs they shouldn’t be driving here.
If the man was not driving recklessly, he should never have been charged with a criminal offense. This matter should be settled in civil court. I am a retired LEO, and I would not have charged him. Sounds to me like a DA who was running for re-election and used this poor guy as campaign fodder.
The criminal issue is the governor is running for reelection and is using this sentence reduction to bypass laws and beg hispanics for votes.
People, if your family was killed, would you reduce the sentence to 2.5 years per person?
The Californian Polis is horrible for Colorado. Colorado is going down the $h1th0le drain ever faster in large part because of him.