Quote:
Originally Posted by Low C Sharp
We do where the theory for dropping the prosecution is financial restitution for the victim, and the victim is already rich (he's a transplant surgeon with a place in Vail).
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He's a transplant surgeon who claims that his ability to perform transplants may have been severely compromised.
Meanwhile, the HuffPost article linked above has an update:
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert told HuffPost on Monday afternoon that news reports about the prosecution have been inaccurate. "We charged him with a felony, first of all," he said.
What's happening is that prosecutors offered Erzinger a plea bargain for restitution and two misdemeanors potentially carrying two years of jail time. What the victim wants, Hurlbert said, is for Erzinger to plead guilty to the felony of leaving the scene of accident, causing serious bodily injury. Under that deal, judgment would be deferred and the felony would be cleared from his record after a few years of good behavior. The misdemeanors, though, would stay on Erzinger's record permanently.
"This is the right plea bargain given the facts of the case, the defendant's prior criminal history and his willingness to take responsibility," Hurlbert said. "We feel this is far more punitive than the felony deferred."
I'm speechless and terribly disillusioned that a HuffPost article got it wrong.