Colorado governor reduces sentence of truck driver who was given 110 years

[neurosis]

Curious what you guys think about this case?  I haven't followed it very closely, but even the reduced sentence seems a little harsh for something accidental.  Am I missing something?

Mandatory sentencing guidelines can be the devil some times.


https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/30/us/colorado-rogel-aguilera-mederos-sentence-commuted/index.html

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is commuting the sentence of a truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for an interstate wreck that killed four people, he announced Thursday, calling the sentence "highly atypical and unjust."

Rogel Aguilera-Mederos will now serve a 10-year sentence and will be eligible for parole on December 30, 2026, according to a clemency letter Polis wrote to him.
Aguilera-Mederos was convicted in October on four counts of vehicular homicide and 23 other charges related to the fiery crash, according to Colorado's First Judicial District Attorney's Office.

[Smit]

Curious what you guys think about this case?  I haven't followed it very closely, but even the reduced sentence seems a little harsh for something accidental.  Am I missing something?

Mandatory sentencing guidelines can be the devil some times.

IMO the Governor did the right thing. It was a horrible accident but everybody agrees (including the prosecutor) that it was an accident.

There is speculation he didn't have the experience and possibly the training to be driving an extremely heavy rig full of logs in the mountains. Maybe that's something which should be addressed with the trucking company.

I don't know what the penalty should be but surely 110 years is too much for an accident.

[neurosis]

I think that 10 years is too much.

If he had been drinking I'd get it.

[mowens]

It is alleged that his negligence contributed to the deaths. If that's true than I think 10 is fair. An average maximum sentence for negligent homicide is 8 years and there were 4 deaths.

[neurosis]

The average max?  He got 10 and started with 110.  Nobody usually gets the max sentence for a first offense

[Incogneeto]

I don't know the specifics either. But am willing to Bet The Wisconsin Crowd Killer begs for Leniancy Also.

[mowens]

The average max?  He got 10 and started with 110.  Nobody usually gets the max sentence for a first offense

He got 10 years. First offenses don't usually end up with multiple deaths either. 10 years is 2.5 years per death. That doesn't sound excessive to me.

[neurosis]

He got 10 years. First offenses don't usually end up with multiple deaths either. 10 years is 2.5 years per death. That doesn't sound excessive to me.

Put yourself in his place I guess?

I've been in a similar situation.