Progressive prosecutor lets illegal immigrant teen off easy after 90mph crash that killed 24 year-old woman
A teenage illegal immigrant who killed a 24-year-old Colorado woman during a high-speed crash was given a lenient plea deal by a progressive district attorney that allowed him to walk free without serving any jail time.
The 15-year-old Colombian teen, who has not been publicly named because of state laws that shield the identity of underage criminal suspects, was sentenced to two years probation and 100 hours of community service for the July 2024 death of Kaitlyn Weaver, her father, John Weaver, told Fox News Digital.
The office of Arapahoe County District Attorney Amy Padden offered the teen a plea deal if he admitted his guilt in the deadly crash.
The teen was racing his Jeep with other kids at speeds of 90 mph in a residential neighborhood in the Denver suburb of Aurora when he T-boned Weaver's vehicle at an intersection, her father said.
"It was an instantaneous death," John Weaver said.
Kaitlyn Weaver was waiting at a stop sign and speaking to her boyfriend on speakerphone at the time she was struck, he said. She was kept on life support for two days before she was taken off and her organs were donated.
The teen suspect was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. At the time, the Weavers were told by the DA's office the case was a "no plea offer" case, John Weaver said.
However, in January, Padden, who received endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, informed the Weaver family her office would negotiate a probation plea deal.
"They said by doing two years probation, that's probably more than the judge would give if he pleaded guilty," John Weaver said.
"You don't have to participate in a bad system. If the judge wanted to sentence him to less, that's the judge's issue. What happened in this case is you (prosecutors) created it into your issue. Now you're part of the problem."
The Weavers' attorney, Matthew Durkin, called the deal "abhorrent," noting that Weaver was killed during the prime of her life.
John Weaver noted that the teen who killed his daughter was in the United States illegally and unlicensed.
"We had a collision where the immigration system and the criminal justice system collided, and now my daughter's dead," he said.
The teen had taken the uninsured Jeep without his mother's permission, according to local reports. His mother told authorities she planned to move him back to Colombia, but he has since applied for asylum.
Arapahoe County Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley said he "unequivocally" condemns the teen's "reckless and unlawful behavior, which had devastating and irreversible results."
"We believe the conviction to the highest charge in this case and the negotiated sentence acknowledges the seriousness of this preventable tragedy, and that no legal outcome can truly make up for the profound loss and void Kaitlyn's loved ones will live with permanently," Brackley said.
In a Facebook post this week, Padden addressed Weaver's death while focusing on the dangers of speeding.
"We acknowledge Kaitlyn Weaver's death was the direct result of a crash caused by an unlicensed teenager driving at nearly twice the posted speed limit," she wrote. "This tragic loss is a powerful reminder that it is not just alcohol or drug-impaired driving that takes lives. Driving at dangerous speeds has deadly consequences too, and they are felt by our entire community."
Originally published as Progressive prosecutor lets illegal immigrant teen off easy after 90mph crash that killed 24 year-old woman
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The new president will face the challenge of rallying a society deeply scarred by the attempt at military rule and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally. After being impeached by parliament in December, Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 4, less than three years into his five-year term, triggering the snap election that stands to remake South Korea's political leadership and foreign policies. As of mid-afternoon (local time), 30.5 million people, or nearly 69 per cent of the electorate, had voted at 14,295 locations, according to the National Election Commission. Turnout was running slightly ahead of the 2022 presidential vote with polls set to remain open until 9pm AEST and following early voting when more than a third of the 44.39 million eligible voters cast their ballots. "Only six golden hours are left to save South Korea, which is in crisis due to the greed of the establishment," liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung said as he urged people to vote in a Facebook post. Both Lee and his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo have pledged change, saying a political system and economic model set up during South Korea's rise as a budding democracy and industrial power are no longer fit for purpose. Their proposals for investment in innovation and technology often overlap, but Lee advocates more equity and help for mid-to low-income families while Kim has campaigned on giving businesses more freedom from regulations and labour strife. Overshadowing any social policy initiatives, however, is Yoon's brief attempt to impose martial law that has loomed large over the poll. Lee has called the election "judgment day" against Kim and his People Power Party, accusing them of having condoned the martial law attempt by not fighting harder to thwart it and even trying to save Yoon's presidency. Kim was Yoon's labour minister when the former president declared martial law on December 3. Kim has branded Lee a "dictator" and his Democratic Party a "monster," warning if the former human rights lawyer becomes president, nothing will stop them from working together to amend laws simply because they do not like them. "I and the People Power Party will do our best to save people's livelihoods and the economy," Kim said in a Facebook post. The frontrunner Lee and his rival Kim cast their ballots during early voting last week. Yoon and his wife voted at a school near their private residence on Tuesday, appearing relaxed but ignoring questions as they left the polling station. There were no female candidates running in Tuesday's election for the first time in 18 years. Despite polls showing wide gaps between young men and women, gender equality was not among the key policy issues put forward during the election, a stark contrast from the 2022 vote. The National Election Commission is scheduled to certify the result on Wednesday and the winner's inauguration is expected within hours. There will be no presidential transition as the office has remained vacant since Yoon was removed. Reuters South Koreans have turned out in force to vote in a snap presidential election, as millions of people sought to restore stability after six months of turmoil sparked by a shock martial law briefly imposed by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol. The new president will face the challenge of rallying a society deeply scarred by the attempt at military rule and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally. After being impeached by parliament in December, Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 4, less than three years into his five-year term, triggering the snap election that stands to remake South Korea's political leadership and foreign policies. As of mid-afternoon (local time), 30.5 million people, or nearly 69 per cent of the electorate, had voted at 14,295 locations, according to the National Election Commission. Turnout was running slightly ahead of the 2022 presidential vote with polls set to remain open until 9pm AEST and following early voting when more than a third of the 44.39 million eligible voters cast their ballots. "Only six golden hours are left to save South Korea, which is in crisis due to the greed of the establishment," liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung said as he urged people to vote in a Facebook post. Both Lee and his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo have pledged change, saying a political system and economic model set up during South Korea's rise as a budding democracy and industrial power are no longer fit for purpose. Their proposals for investment in innovation and technology often overlap, but Lee advocates more equity and help for mid-to low-income families while Kim has campaigned on giving businesses more freedom from regulations and labour strife. Overshadowing any social policy initiatives, however, is Yoon's brief attempt to impose martial law that has loomed large over the poll. Lee has called the election "judgment day" against Kim and his People Power Party, accusing them of having condoned the martial law attempt by not fighting harder to thwart it and even trying to save Yoon's presidency. Kim was Yoon's labour minister when the former president declared martial law on December 3. Kim has branded Lee a "dictator" and his Democratic Party a "monster," warning if the former human rights lawyer becomes president, nothing will stop them from working together to amend laws simply because they do not like them. "I and the People Power Party will do our best to save people's livelihoods and the economy," Kim said in a Facebook post. The frontrunner Lee and his rival Kim cast their ballots during early voting last week. Yoon and his wife voted at a school near their private residence on Tuesday, appearing relaxed but ignoring questions as they left the polling station. There were no female candidates running in Tuesday's election for the first time in 18 years. Despite polls showing wide gaps between young men and women, gender equality was not among the key policy issues put forward during the election, a stark contrast from the 2022 vote. The National Election Commission is scheduled to certify the result on Wednesday and the winner's inauguration is expected within hours. There will be no presidential transition as the office has remained vacant since Yoon was removed. Reuters South Koreans have turned out in force to vote in a snap presidential election, as millions of people sought to restore stability after six months of turmoil sparked by a shock martial law briefly imposed by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol. The new president will face the challenge of rallying a society deeply scarred by the attempt at military rule and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally. After being impeached by parliament in December, Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 4, less than three years into his five-year term, triggering the snap election that stands to remake South Korea's political leadership and foreign policies. As of mid-afternoon (local time), 30.5 million people, or nearly 69 per cent of the electorate, had voted at 14,295 locations, according to the National Election Commission. Turnout was running slightly ahead of the 2022 presidential vote with polls set to remain open until 9pm AEST and following early voting when more than a third of the 44.39 million eligible voters cast their ballots. "Only six golden hours are left to save South Korea, which is in crisis due to the greed of the establishment," liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung said as he urged people to vote in a Facebook post. Both Lee and his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo have pledged change, saying a political system and economic model set up during South Korea's rise as a budding democracy and industrial power are no longer fit for purpose. Their proposals for investment in innovation and technology often overlap, but Lee advocates more equity and help for mid-to low-income families while Kim has campaigned on giving businesses more freedom from regulations and labour strife. Overshadowing any social policy initiatives, however, is Yoon's brief attempt to impose martial law that has loomed large over the poll. Lee has called the election "judgment day" against Kim and his People Power Party, accusing them of having condoned the martial law attempt by not fighting harder to thwart it and even trying to save Yoon's presidency. Kim was Yoon's labour minister when the former president declared martial law on December 3. Kim has branded Lee a "dictator" and his Democratic Party a "monster," warning if the former human rights lawyer becomes president, nothing will stop them from working together to amend laws simply because they do not like them. "I and the People Power Party will do our best to save people's livelihoods and the economy," Kim said in a Facebook post. The frontrunner Lee and his rival Kim cast their ballots during early voting last week. Yoon and his wife voted at a school near their private residence on Tuesday, appearing relaxed but ignoring questions as they left the polling station. There were no female candidates running in Tuesday's election for the first time in 18 years. Despite polls showing wide gaps between young men and women, gender equality was not among the key policy issues put forward during the election, a stark contrast from the 2022 vote. The National Election Commission is scheduled to certify the result on Wednesday and the winner's inauguration is expected within hours. There will be no presidential transition as the office has remained vacant since Yoon was removed. Reuters
