A DUI conviction can have a few different results and it depends on the severity of the DUI charge. Most DUI charges are misdemeanors. However, having multiple DUIs on your record, having a blood-alcohol content of above a certain amount, and seriously injuring or killing another person can result in the DUI charges being increased to felonies. In addition to sentencing for criminal charges, a person can be ordered to pay restitution. Palo Alto Online reports on the outcome of the trial of a man accused of a fatal DUI.
28-year-old Zachary Katz was a former Stanford student accused of an October 5, 2013, DUI that claimed one life and left two others injured. That night, Katz drove the wrong way down U.S. Highway 101.
On November 17, 2017, Katz was convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter under the influence of alcohol and felony driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury amid several other guilty counts.
Today, he was sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison. In addition, he must pay over $400,000 in restitution to one of the surviving victims. The amount of restitution to the other victim has yet to be determined.
At the time of the accident, Katz had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 to 0.16. A blood test two hours after the accident said his BAC was 0.13.
The case took nearly four years to resolve due attempts by Katz’s attorney to have the blood-alcohol levels tossed out of evidence. This is a common tactic as there are many things that can go wrong legally and procedurally with blood alcohol testing.
