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canyonwalkerOn October 7, 2018, Hawk and I were involved in a car crash in Seattle. We were passengers in a car struck from behind in a multi-car collision. The police arrested the driver of another car for driving while impaired and reckless driving. Subsequently King County charged him with, I believe, Vehicular Assault, a felony[1].
Why am I writing again now about this unfortunate event from 4½ years ago? It's because now, 4½ years later, it has finally gone to trial.
Why has it taken so long? Oh, so many steps along the way:
Four and a half years later! The wheels of justice sure do turn slowly.
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[1] In the State of Washington Vehicular Assault is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000.00 fine.
Why am I writing again now about this unfortunate event from 4½ years ago? It's because now, 4½ years later, it has finally gone to trial.
Why has it taken so long? Oh, so many steps along the way:
- I think it took several months after the collision for the DA to file charges. I wasn't paying close attention to the process because, to me, the unfortunate event was a point in time. It was over. "The long arm of the law," though....
- The DA filed charges and then there were more delays. Defendants have a right to a speedy trial but usually waive it.
- Several months later Coronavirus became a global pandemic. The trial was delayed for over a year due to limits on hearing cases.
- My first notice of a trial date was June 2021. Then it was pushed to August, then September, then October.
- In September 2021 a defense lawyer interviewed me. That was almost 3 years after the day of the event in question.
- The defendant failed to appear for the court case in Oct '21. He skipped bail. It took months for police to arrest him again.
- In October 2022 I got notice of a new court date. The fugitive defendant had been found. But the date for the trial kept getting pushed every month until recently.
- Finally the case was assigned to a judge and scheduled on his docket to start in March 2023... though it was still delayed a week at a time a few times until the judge's other trials wrapped up.
- Finally the trial actually started a week or two ago. We're giving our witness testimony on Tuesday morning.
Four and a half years later! The wheels of justice sure do turn slowly.
_____
[1] In the State of Washington Vehicular Assault is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000.00 fine.
