A Clark County District Court judge has sentenced a former Metro Police officer to prison for anywhere between three and a half to 20 years following a DUI crash that killed a popular elementary school teacher, and for a second separate crime, as reported by the Las Vegas Sun.
M.M., 42, was also fined $2,000 by Judge Elissa Cadish after pleading guilty to felony DUI and causing death.
On April 16, at approximately 11:30 p.m., M.M. traveled on Decatur Boulevard, ran a red light, and then drove his Jeep into a Hyundai driven by R.W., 57. According to M.M.'s attorney, Warren Geller, M.M. attempted to offer R.W. lifesaving aid at the scene. However, R.W. died before he arrived at a local medical center.
According to court records, M.M. admitted to officers that he had drank several beers before getting behind the wheel. The results of a breath test proved that his blood alcohol percentage was 0.97 and well above the .08 percent limit to drive.
In a prepared statement, M.M. told the court that he had no words that could convey how much he regretted causing R.W.'s death. He said that he never forget, for the remainder of his own life, that he had caused anther person's death.
Geller added, "It was painful for him to have to see what (the family) experienced and the outcome it's had on their lives."
R.W.'s widow, S.W., told the court, "You never think it's going to happen to you. I know he might be sorry and all that, but I don't know whatever happened to the death penalty. People don't take anything seriously anymore."
S.W. also brought an item to court with her as proof of how her husband will be missed by others: a blanket, covered in handprints of third and fourth graders from the elementary school R.W. had taught at. S.W. added that her husband's former students were "all sad and they wrote cards and everything."
D.W., R.W.'s brother, voiced his concern about M.M. continuing to drink and drive once he finishes his prison term.
However, M.M. will have to have an interlock device installed in his car, for two years, before his privilege to drive will be reinstated.
Due to a separate criminal case – in which M.M. was charged with burglary, grand larceny, obtaining money under false pretenses and possession of stolen property – a sentence, of one to two and half years in prison will run concurrently with his DUI sentence if he agrees to plead guilty to attempted possession of stolen property.
During his April DUI arrest a history of personal problems, including prescription drug abuse, was uncovered.
M.M. was employed as a Metro officer beginning in February of 2000 though to March of 2010.
A charge of driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating under the influence (OUI) or operating while intoxicated (OWI), requires that you contact a DUI attorney for help. Only a DUI attorney is expert in DUI law.