Underage DUI is a huge, yet understated problem for PA DUI lawyers. And with prom season just over the horizon, Pennsylvania DUI attorneys are gearing up for the specific problem of youths driving while under the influence of marijuana.
In recent weeks, PA DUI lawyers have faced off against the court representing underage DUI offenders who were high on marijuana behind the wheel. At a sentencing hearing in Norristown last week, a Montgomery County judge reprimanded a teenage driver who was responsible for a fatal crash that killed two other teens and injured three more.
Austin Ewers was sentenced to a juvenile facility; where he is to receive psychiatric and educational treatment. He has also been ordered to pay for the costs of burying his friends. Austin Ewers was 16 years old at the time of the crash. He was high on marijuana behind the wheel as he drove five teenage male passengers last November. The DUI crash left Andrew Case, 17, and Michael Cantamaglia, 16, dead.
Austin Ewers was lucky and suffered a more favorable fate when compared to other similarly charged youth. Joseph Genovese Jr., who was not much older than Austin Ewers, received a prison sentence of 7-14 years for a conviction of being high behind the wheel in a DUI crash that killed two Cardinals fans in 2008. He was only 18 at the time of the crash, yet he received a sentence significantly harsher than the one received by Austin Ewers.
Nevertheless, both offenders allegedly showed arrogance and indifference in the aftermaths of their accidents. Joseph Genovese Jr. posted photos of his mug shots on MySpace while Austin Ewers smoked marijuana three weeks after his accident.
In both cases, the judges refused to overlook these actions.
Related Resources
- DUI Judge Throws the Book at Joseph Genovese Jr. (The Philadelphia DUI Law Blog)
- Program Urges Youth to 'Make a U-Turn' (The Philadelphia DUI Law Blog)
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Find a PA DUI Attorney (FindLaw Directory)
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