Brother of Colorado Crash Victim Rips Gov. Jared Polis After Commuting Cuban Driver's 110-Year Sentence
The brother of a victim who died in the 2019 crash in Colorado's I-70 in 2019 slammed Governor Jared Polis on Sunday after the official commuted the 110-year sentence originally given to Cuban driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos.
Duane Bailey lost his brother, William Bailey, in the crash that killed four in April 2019, Fox News reported.
"As far as I'm concerned, [Polis] undermined the integrity of the courts," Duane Bailey said in an interview.
The other victims of the crash were identified as Miguel Lamas Arellano, Stanley Politano, and Doyle Harrison.
Brother of Colorado Crash Victim Says 'Political and Social Media' Pressure More Important for Polis
The brother of the Colorado victim also said that Governor Polis decided to give more importance to political and social media pressure rather "than the victims" of the crash.
It can be recalled that more than five million people signed on a petition to reduce the sentence awarded to the Cuban driver. The movement gathered attention as it reached Kim Kardashian, who also joined the calls on reducing Aguilera-Mederos' 110-year sentence.
Bailey went on to retaliate on Polis' decision to not let the court proceeding set on January 13 take place before the announcement of Aguilera-Mederos' clemency.
"The governor put himself above the law by not letting the court proceedings finish out," Bailey's brother said, adding that the governor should have let the January 13 hearing take place before announcing clemency.
Duane Bailey said that he also does not support the 110-year sentence initially slammed to the Cuban driver. However, he noted that 10 years imprisonment is not enough as a consequence of what Aguilera-Mederos did.
"The prosecutor was going to suggest 20-30 years. A number I would have supported," Bailey underscored.
The brother of the Colorado crash victim also ripped on the timing when Jared Polis announced the clemency, claiming that tragic fires occurred in the state when it was made known to the public.
"[Polis] made the announcement [clemency] when he knew people would be focused on the tragic fires. So in a way, he also took advantage of them to provide coverage so he could announce this without much coverage," Bailey highlighted.
Colorado Governor Awards Clemency on the Cuban Driver
Last week, Governor Jared Polis reduced the 110-year sentence of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos to 10 years.
Despite diminishing the sentence of the Cuban driver, Polis said that Aguilera-Mederos' is "disproportionate" to other crimes such as "intentional, premeditated, or violent crimes," in the criminal justice system.
In the letter issued by Polis, the Colorado governor pointed out that the Cuban driver will be eligible for parole on December 30, 2026.
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos's semi-truck slammed into a stopped traffic light in Colorado's I-70. The crash caused a chain reaction on I-70 such as ruptured gas tanks that caused flames.
The Cuban driver was then charged with four counts of vehicular manslaughter, six counts of first-degree assault, 10 counts of attempt to commit assault in the first degree extreme indifference, two counts of vehicular assault reckless, and one count of reckless driving.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Colorado Governor Reduces Sentence for Houston Truck Driver in Deadly Crash - From KHOU 11
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