An Oklahoma County judge handed down a stiff sentence for a man convicted of manslaughter following a DUI accident that killed a family of three: threeconsecutive life sentences.
In March, Demetrius Jerrod Price, 23, pleaded guilty to three counts of first degree manslaughter and three counts of causing an accident without a driver'slicense. He did so by entering a blind plea, without the benefit of a plea agreement, and let the judge determine his fate.
This weak, Oklahoma County District Judge Timothy Henderson sentenced Price to three terms of life in prison, with each sentence to run consecutively--notconcurrently. First degree manslaughter carries a minimum sentence of four years in prison, so the sentence is much higher than the minimum allowedby law.
At sentencing, the prosecution said that Price refused to accept responsibility for the collision, continuing to deny culpability. The state also arguedthat the defendant never apologized to the family of the victims of the crash.
In determining the sentence, Judge Henderson mentioned Price's lengthy arrest record, which includes a pending second degree burglary charge, deferredsentences for breaking and entering and obstructing an officer, and a conviction of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Judge Hendersonsaid in sentencing, "There comes a time when enough is enough."
The case is the result of an April 2015 crash that killed a toddler and her parents. Prosecutors said that Price was under the influence of alcohol andmarijuana when he ran a red light at the intersection of W Reno and S Rockwell avenues, T-boning another vehicle. The impact killed all three occupantsof the other vehicle: Jason Fields, 34, Shannon West, 30, and their daughter, 22-month-old Ruby Fields. Police say Price was driving at 80 milesper hour; the speed limit was 45 mph.
Price, who was determined to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.13 percent, sustained only minor injuries in the fatal collision.
First degree manslaughter is an "85 Percent Crime," which requires the convicted person to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before becomingeligible for parole. For purposes of parole, a life sentence is calculated at 45 years. This means that a person serving a life sentence for manslaughterwould have to serve at more than 38 years before obtaining even the possibility of parole. Because his sentences are ordered to run consecutively ratherthan concurrently, the 23-year-old Price would have to spend more than 114 years in prison before becoming parole eligible.
