A Chicago police officer, accused of aggravated drunken driving, reckless homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident in May 2009, has been convicted on all charges by a jury and is now awaiting sentencing, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
After nine hours of deliberation the jury announced their decision, and the family of Trenton B., 13 years old at the time of his death, showed their relief. The young boy’s father, T.B. cried and pumped his fists, while Trenton’s mother, B.N., also shed tears while holding hands with her sister.
T.B. said, “We feel vindicated, we got justice for Trenton after all these years.”
The now-convicted police officer, R.B., had his bond revoked and was booked into Cook County Jail. He will remain in protective custody until February – at which time he will appear for his sentencing.
R.B., a 17-year veteran as a narcotics officer, will be facing up to a fifteen-year prison term. He is also eligible for probation.
R.B.’s father is retired Chicago Police Commander, D.B, and was also in attendance at the Criminal Courts building – but he left without commenting to reporters.
Thomas Needham, R.B.’s defense attorney said that his client “is a good (church-going) man, and he does not belong in prison.” Needham also said that R.B. was suspended following his arrest, and the city is now in the process of firing him from the police force.
During the case prosecutors had argued that R.B. received preferential treatment after he ran down Trenton on his bicycle at 81st Street and Ashland Avenue.
Needham has denied R.B. requesting, or receiving, any special treatment.
After the hit-and-run, R.B was arrested – he had been located driving his Dodge Charger in the wrong direction of a one-way street, with an open beer can in the front console of his car and his breath smelling of alcohol.
When officers stopped R.B. he told them that he too was an officer.
Allegedly a watch commander had ordered one of the officers to “hold off” on field sobriety tests at the incident. Two hours later – after R.B. was taken to a washroom – the field tests were finally given.
Though officers at the scene testified that R.B. passed sobriety tests, they later changed their testimony to reflect that R.B. had indeed failed portions of the “walk and turn” test.
The number of several superior officers at the scene caused one officer to allegedly grow nervous about administering the tests.
An internal affairs sergeant ordered blood alcohol tests – 4 ½ hours after the crash – that showed that R.B. was under the 0.08 limit. But a forensic toxicologist testified that an truer estimate of R.B.’s blood alcohol level, had the test been administered earlier, would have shown levels closer to twice the legal limit.
As far as the allegations made against R.B. for receiving any special treatment by fellow officers, T.B. said, “That doesn't matter now, he's been convicted of all counts. … Today the justice system worked.”
Whether you have been charged with DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI or more serious criminal charges stemming from drunken driving, contact a DUI attorney to best suit your needs.