From the OC Register
Man gets year in jail for boat deaths
The families of three O.C. victims asked the Arizona judge for a harsher sentence in the 2003 Colorado River accident.
By RACHANEE SRISAVASDI
The Orange County Register
A Maywood man was sentenced to a year in jail in an Arizona court Friday for his part in a boating accident that killed three Orange County youths and injured a fourth.
Grier Rush, 63, also was sentenced to four years probation by La Paz County Judge Michael Burke, said R. Glenn Buckelew, the prosecutor in Parker, Ariz.
The accident occurred Sept. 19, 2003, on the Parker Strip, a narrow stretch of Colorado River that serves as a border between California and Arizona.
Rush was driving a speedboat when he hit an 18-foot boat, killing Jonathan Herbert, 21, his sister Jacquel, 18, both of Laguna Hills, and Ashley Rollins, 18, of Mission Viejo. Joshua Rogers of Anaheim was seriously injured but survived.
Earlier this month, a similar boating accident claimed three lives about 50 miles north of the Parker strip. A fourth victim, Dale Baldwin, 35, of Huntington Beach, remains missing.
In the Parker accident, Rush pleaded no contest in July to three counts of negligent homicide and one count of aggravated assault.
On Friday, the parents of the Herberts, as well as the mother of Rollins, asked the judge to give Rush the maximum sentence of 10 years.
The Herberts were too distraught to comment to a reporter. Their civil attorney, Michael Sutton, said they were extremely disappointed.
"Their feeling is that ... the court system looks the other way," Sutton said. "Until there are stiff penalties and the message is really sent that we will not tolerate this type of behavior, this will happen again, again and again."
The prosecutor also wanted Rush sent to prison instead of jail.
"He was acting extremely recklessly, the fact is three people were killed,'' Buckelew said, adding a stiffer sentence would have helped "deter others from behaving in the same manner."
The judge gave several reasons for his decision, including that the act was not intentional and that Rush did not have a criminal record, Buckelew said.
Rush's attorney, Ron Cordova, called the sentence appropriate.
Rush will begin serving his jail sentence Jan. 14, in order to finish treatment for prostate cancer. The judge also ruled that Rush cannot operate a boat during his probation and must pay up to $50,000 in restitution to families of the victims.
The families all have filed civil lawsuits against Rush.
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CONTACT US: (714) 834-3773 or rsrisavasdi@ocregister.com
Not good. The judge failed all of us.
The Herberts were too distraught to comment to a reporter. Their civil attorney, Michael Sutton, said they were extremely disappointed.
I'm so sorry, Wayne and Jana. I'll pray for you.
La Paz County Judge Michael Burke
Boatcop, please post an address for this judge if you could. I think we should all write and let him know he didn't do his job.
A year. 4 months per body. Just pathetic!!!
Doesn't quite seem like an adequate sentence given that 3 people lost thier lives.
That does seem way too lenient.
Didn't he also leave the scene?
That alone should be worth a lot of hard time in my opinion.
CA Stu
rrrr
your exactly right, its not like it was an accident in the true meaning of an accident. If I remember correctly alcohol was involved and he did flee the scene. That doesn't send a very good message to the rest of us, to keep from drinking and operating a boat or that one should render aid when even near an accident on the water. Considering that you caused that accident. I feel that their is no real appropriate amount of time that can be served for the taking of a life, but an example can be made that may cause others to take notice and keep them from doing this.
Jason
From Google.....
Hon. Michael Burke
Presiding Juvenile Court Judge
La Paz County Juvenile Court
1316 Kofa Avenue
Parker, Arizona 85344
Phone: (928) 669-6134
Fax: (928) 669-9770
thats our dam system!!:jawdrop:
From Google.....
Hon. Michael Burke
Presiding Juvenile Court Judge
La Paz County Juvenile Court
1316 Kofa Avenue
Parker, Arizona 85344
Phone: (928) 669-6134
Fax: (928) 669-9770
Juvenile Court?
Earlier this month, a similar boating accident claimed three lives about 50 miles north of the Parker strip. A fourth victim, Dale Baldwin, 35, of Huntington Beach, remains missing.
Similar??? The other accident they are refering to happened in darkness and involved only one boat (which hit bridge post)!!! How are they similar???
RTJas
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