Posted on 06/18/2003 6:37:00 AM PDT by bedolido
MONMOUTH - A Galesburg man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday for the 2002 death of a Galesburg woman who was sitting on his lap and having sex with him as he drove.
At a bench trial last month in Warren County, Sonny Morris El, 32, was found innocent of reckless homicide but guilty of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs.
He faced between one and 12 years in prison, but his attorney, Warren County public defender Scott Shipplett, asked Judge Greg McClintock to sentence Morris El to probation.
State’s Attorney Chip Algren asked McClintock to impose the maximum sentence, saying Morris El has lived a life of "total irresponsibility."
Morris El was giving Kristina Valerio, 25, a ride home from Gulfport when the accident occurred at about 5 a.m. Jan. 17, 2002. Their car crossed the centerline and collided almost head-on with a semi on U.S. Route 34 between Kirkwood and Monmouth.
Morris El was in a coma for a time and eventually was placed in a nursing home, where friends said he had to learn to talk, walk and eat again. Shipplett said Morris El now has the mental capacity of an 11-year-old.
"This was a tragedy and an accident, but it wasn’t a murder," Shipplett said. "The victim was his girlfriend, and he had no intent to cause serious bodily harm (to her)."
Morris El began to make a statement on his own behalf, but became emotional and started to ramble. He said that the accident had "opened my eyes not to take life for granted."
He called his actions "foolish" and said that they had cost him his friend.
Lorie Akers of Galesburg, the mother of two of Morris El’s children, testified on his behalf Monday but said he was self-centered and arrogant before the accident, spending time with his children only when it was convenient for him.
Akers said that since the accident, Morris El is a lot more involved in the lives of his children, who are now 6 and 9.
McClintock said that Morris El had been married three times and has five children.
Two other women have taken out orders of protection against him.
McClintock said both the conviction and sentence could be appealed within 30 days, and Morris El said he planned to do both.
Morris El is also facing charges in Knox County for a May 2001 incident where he is accused of shooting a Monmouth man in the leg during an argument over a woman.
A mental fitness hearing on the Knox County charges is scheduled for today in Galesburg.
He should have waited till they got out of the car.
I think we have a winner here for the idiot of the year award and Darwin Award winner in training.
I mean this guy has got to more stupid than the guy that watched that movie on his DVD player while driving.
"Akers said that since the accident, Morris El is a lot more involved in the lives of his children, who are now 6 and 9.
McClintock said that Morris El had been married three times and has five children.
(Hint: it is in bold...)
And for extra points- Guess who is supporting these children? (hint: I bet it is me and you)
That being said, there was one sentence in this report that really bothered me. Here's a guy on trial with the possibility of being in prison for a long time, and the ex comes to court to make the following statement.
Lorie Akers of Galesburg, the mother of two of Morris El’s children, testified on his behalf Monday but said he was self-centered and arrogant before the accident,
spending time with his children only when it was convenient for him.
There you have it, the court is willing to take the 'unbiased testimoney' of a defendent's ex-wife as mitigating evidence. Has anyone known an unbiased ex-wife in their life?
It has reached the point where it is almost absurd that a man have children by choice. Those children will be held over his head for the next twenty years in matters that have absolutely nothing to do with their betterment. While this guy may be a slug for not visiting his children, and I think he probably is, what the hell does that have to do with having sex while driving during the early morning hours? The only thing more absurd than this would be to have the waitress tesify that he didn't give her a big enough tip. "Yes your honor, he only gave me 12%. Why I never!"
This is the heighth of absurdity.
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