Our Long Beach intoxicated driving criminal defense lawyers were interested to see a report about a sentencing in a DUI case involving a driver on multiple drugs. The Orange County Register reported Nov. 19 that 33-year-old Isaac Robert Longo was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for causing the death of Cecelia Lopez and injuries to four other women. Longo was allegedly abusing two prescription anti-seizure medications as well as marijuana when he crashed into the stopped car in which Lopez, 82, was a passenger. Longo pleaded guilty in July to gross vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence, with two prior DUI convictions, plus sentence enhancements for great bodily injury to multiple victims.
According to a press release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office, Longo was speeding when he entered the highway on Nov. 7, 2007. In addition to having smoked marijuana, Longo had reportedly taken Clonazepam and Gabapentin, both anti-seizure drugs that are abused recreationally for their sedative effects. He weaved in and out of lanes of traffic, and when traffic slowed, he drove on the shoulder at speeds of 70 to 100 mph to go around stopped cars. On the shoulder, he lost control and crashed into the passenger side of Griff's Honda, killing Lopez and ultimately causing a five-car pileup. Lopez's driver and daughter, Katherine Griff, suffered bleeding from the brain, a broken leg, cracked ribs and a bruised and punctured lung. In addition, the crash injured Kathleen Collens, 53; Kimberly Collens, 20; and April Levin, 33. A blood test revealed the drugs in Longo's bloodstream.
As Buena Park DUI criminal defense attorneys, we would like to remind drivers that Longo would likely have faced much less time without the prior DUI convictions. Penalties for DUI manslaughter are four to 10 years on a first offense. It's only with two or more prior DUIs that you face the 15 years to life sentence Longo received. (In fact, before he pleaded guilty, he may have faced even more time because of the injuries.) Of course, the best way to avoid a DUI manslaughter charge is to avoid driving while intoxicated. But if you do end up arrested for driving drunk, it's essential to defend it as thoroughly as possible, because a DUI conviction means much harsher penalties if you're ever convicted of another drunk driving offense in the future. That's on top of the penalties for a first DUI, which include thousands in fines and fees as well as loss of your driver's license and more.
If you're charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, never plead guilty until you've spoken with Howard Law, P.C.. Many DUI clients believe they should just plead guilty because the police have evidence that can't be argued with -- a breath test reading of 0.08 or higher. In fact, there are multiple reasons why that test result might not be valid evidence, including flaws in the test and mistakes by the police officers administering it. Our Chino drunk driving criminal defense lawyers go through each new case we take, looking for these types of errors, because they can undermine the entire case against the client. Without evidence, prosecutors may be forced to drop the case entirely or negotiate with us for lower charges that carry more reasonable penalties.
If you're charged with a DUI in California and you're not ready to give up on your defense, you should call Howard Law, P.C. for help. To set up a free, confidential consultation, send us a message online or call 1-800-872-5925 today.
