When facing any criminal charges, it is absolutely crucial that the accused retain an experienced criminal defense attorney; the case of Eugene Rivetts is testimony to this.
In 2009, Rivetts crossed the median and crashed his Hummer into the Corolla of 19-year-old Ryan DeZurik in central Minnesota. Dezurik was killed, and Rivetts’ passenger Timothy Rausch was originally charged with criminal vehicular homicide after Rivetts claimed that Rausch was driving. According to Assistant County Attorney Will Brost, it was DNA evidence which revealed that Rivetts was, in fact, the driver in the fatal crash.
Because Rausch was initially identified as the driver, Rivetts was never given a blood-alcohol-content test. However, using analysis of blood from the scene of the crash and bartender testimony, prosecutors were able to obtain a conviction for DWI vehicular homicide and on Wednesday, Rivetts received the state maximum 10-year prison sentence.
According to Stearns County Judge Mary Mahler, the sentence was justified due to a number of aggravating factors:
-Rivetts’ BAC level was estimated to be 0.26
-a history of DWI
-a previous criminal vehicular homicide conviction in 1989
While very few DWI offenders are handed the maximum sentence, such an outcome is always a very real possibility. It is absolutely crucial to retain a mn criminal defense attorney who is experienced in DWI cases.
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