Posted on 04/20/2010 7:35:10 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
BELLEVILLE — Illinois Trooper Matt Mitchell admitted Friday that he was criminally responsible for an on-duty crash that killed two sisters, and apologized for his recklessness. On Monday, he tried to take it all back.
"I did not plead guilty because I felt that I did it," Mitchell said in an Illinois Court of Claims hearing here. "I did not think I could get a fair trial. I did what I had to do."
The about-face came three days after Mitchell, 31, pleaded guilty on two counts each of reckless homicide and aggravated reckless driving, and was sentenced to 30 months on probation. At the time, he said he would "forever regret" what happened.
But things changed under heated questioning Monday morning by lawyer Tom Keefe, who is seeking $24 million in wrongful-death damages for the family of victims Jessica Uhl, 18, and Kelli Uhl, 13. Mitchell refused to admit he caused the collision.
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Prosecutors said Mitchell had been talking on a cell phone and e-mailing on the patrol car's computer he drove at over 100 mph on Interstate 64 near Scott Air Force Base, answering a call to a traffic crash.
Investigators put his speed at 126 mph just before the collision.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
murder.
The judge ought to pull the guilty plea and force it to trial after that statement.
It’s happened before, but this is Shitcago.
Actually it’s even worse than Chicago. It’s East St. Louis.
No it’s not Chicago. Look on a map. It’s downstate. It’s Sh$tLouis.
A similar tragedy happened in NJ last year. A trooper t- boned a mini van and killed two teen sisters, running to the store, for their mom.
An Unimaginable loss for the family
A similar tragedy happened in NJ last year. A trooper t- boned a mini van and killed two teen sisters, running to the store, for their mom.
An Unimaginable loss for the family
Is that Bill O’Reilly moonlighting as a bailiff?
That dude is 31? Wow. Some hard livin.
I concede.
Is it my imagination, or is that bailiff allowing the prisoner to walk behind him where he could easily grab the bailiff’s sidearm?
Just last week I saw a trooper driving over 120 to catch a speeder he had clocked doing 65 in a 55. (+5 over traffic flow)
Now which of these cars was driving more dangerously?
I don't think he's in custody in that photo.
A similar incident happened in northern Illinois a few years ago. The Winnebago county officer was “supposedly” on a domestic call. Without lights, without sirens, going over 100mph and plowed into a vehicle killing everyone. A family lost all of their teenage children in one fell swoop. The officer lived and the family sued. They had a legitimate claim. It was not a frivolous lawsuit.
Folks still put flowers at the crash site. He didn’t mean to crash into them, but he did. Sad, all around. One second is all it takes.
Well, I was going to say, give him a LITTLE credit for taking his punishment, but for not wanting to be sued for $24 million in damages by a trial lawyer.
Then I realized that his negotiated sentence for this killing was 30 months ON PROBATION. In other words, no real punishment at all.
$24 million isn’t going to bring those girls back to life. But at least this second trial will give this guy some punishment for killing them.
I would hope that his probation is revoked in light of his admission to lying to the court. Hell, I would probably go to prison if this cop arrested me for crossing the river with my revolver in the console (a felony). Which is why I will NEVER go into Illinois for any reason except when I must travel across the state once every two or three years, and then I travel the speed limit and don’t stop until I reach Indiana.
This guy will never have to pay a penny to the family, but I hope the state has to pay the full amount.
Doesn’t fit the definition of murder. 30 months probation is a joke. He ought to do hard time.
Looks like a Soprano.
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