Sentencing delayed for drunk driver who killed Chowchilla teen

Marcos Miguel Torres remains retired of custody for 2 much weeks earlier perchance spending years down bars.

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- There was an affectional outburst astatine the Madera County courthouse Tuesday greeting arsenic a defence lawyer asked the justice for much time.

"We're talking astir a young man's beingness here," defence lawyer Mark Coleman told a judge.

"My daughter's dead. ... This is crazy," Jaycee Willet's parent interjected successful the courtroom.

Jaycee was conscionable 15 years aged erstwhile she mislaid her beingness astatine a Chowchilla intersection backmost successful 2019.

She was riding successful the backseat of a car with 4 of her friends.

That is erstwhile Marcos Miguel Torres ran a halt motion and deed the car, sidesplitting Jaycee.

Police accidental the then-24-year-old was driving nether the power of alcohol, and the Madera County District Attorney's Office charged him with murder.

But a assemblage disagreed and recovered the Torres blameworthy of manslaughter and DUI.

The lawsuit has been winding its mode done the tribunal strategy for 4 years. After 2 erstwhile delays with Torres' sentencing, the extremity seemed to beryllium successful show for Jaycee's household connected Tuesday.

But then, determination was a last-minute setback.

"So, you are requesting to proceed this matter?" Judge Katherine Rigby asked Coleman. "I am, your honor," helium said.

At contented is simply a sentencing papers the territory attorney's bureau filed with the tribunal that could interaction Torres' sentence.

Judge Rigby said the tribunal received its transcript connected December 28, but Coleman says helium ne'er got it.

"The contented is whether oregon not the tribunal tin enforce an aggravated term," helium told Action News. "It's a quality betwixt a anticipation of (a) maximum of 8 years (and) 4 months and 11 years. So it's a important difference."

He said the implications were truthful important that helium would person utilized a antithetic strategy during the trial.

While Judge Rigby offered Coleman a fewer moments to reappraisal the document, Coleman said helium needed much clip and wanted to instrumentality aboriginal this month.

The justice agreed and ordered Torres backmost connected January 23.

Now, helium remains retired of custody for 2 much weeks earlier perchance spending years down bars.

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