Vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is a serious charge. It is a felony that could mean a person spending years in prison. While manslaughter indicates that the taking of life was not premeditated, the charge does mean that the person driving while intoxicated should have been well aware that their actions could cause the loss of life. Thankfully, this is difficult for the prosecution to prove, and they must prove every step of their case.
The prosecutor must prove that the person facing the charge was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, that they broke another law or acted lawfully in a manner that claimed a life, and that someone’s death was a direct result of those actions. The Ventura County Star reports on a woman accused of killing her wife filing to dismiss the charges she is facing.
26-year-old Alayna Monroe’s attorney, Larry Bakman, filed a motion to dismiss charges against his client on April 3.
The request for dismissal argues that during the preliminary hearing in September, the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence for probable cause and restricted Bakman from being able to cross-examine witnesses.
The charges stem from a January 1, 2017 accident where Monroe, who had been driving a Toyota Scion, crashed into a Nissan Maxima. At the time, the driver of the Nissan was working for Uber and had a passenger. Both were injured in the crash.
Also inside the Scion was 33-year-old Heather Monroe, a Los Angeles Police officer and Alayna Monroe’s wife. She died of her injuries.
On February 14, the district attorney’s office filed charges of felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated against Monroe. Other charges involved the injuries the occupants of the other vehicle received and include enhancements that could make the manslaughter charge a strike offense.
The district attorney’s office declined to comment, stating only that additional motions had been filed that would be argued in court.
