Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, the truck driver sentenced to 110 years in prison for causing a crash in Jefferson County that claimed the lives of four people, could be handed a shorter sentence at a new hearing.
According to reports, District Court Judge Bruce Jones has set a resentencing hearing for January 13 at the request of 1st Judicial District Attorney Alexis King. At that hearing, King is to ask for a new sentence of 20 to 30 years behind bars for Aguilera-Mederos.
Public outcry has been fierce following the now-26-year-old trucker’s initial sentence. In 2019, he was driving an 18-wheeler involved in a devastating 28-car crash on Interstate 70 in Colorado. Four people were killed.
After he was sentenced to an astounding 110 years in prison, fellow truckers staged a boycott of Colorado in protest. Last week, we reported how an online petition to lower the Cuban immigrant’s sentence had garnered over 4.5 million signatures.
According to testimony Aguilera-Mederos gave investigators, the crash was caused only when the brakes on his truck failed. He was not charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Judge Jones explained that Colorado law left him with no choice at the original sentencing hearing on December 16 but to sentence Aguilera-Mederos to 110 years. This, according to the judge himself, was due to requirements that sentences for “crimes of violence” run consecutively. Jones also added that this was the minimum sentence he could hand down.
During Monday’s hearing, Judge Jones confirmed the new hearing on January 13 will be held in person in Jefferson County. Jones said he would prefer that Aguilera-Mederos be at the hearing, but does not expect him to testify.
“(Virtual hearings are) fine for opening up our courts to make them as public as possible so other folks can see what’s happening, but they do not in any way capture the feelings that you get in an in-person hearing, and I think that’s important,” Jones said.
District Attorney Alexis King said that her office will likely recommend a reduced sentence of 20 to 30 years for her client.
I don’t know about you, but the fact that this man was sentenced to 110 years in the first place leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
What do you think about the case? Should Rogel Aguilera-Mederos be given a reduced sentence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box.
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