A 28-year-old man in Colorado was recently found guilty of murder after driving while under the influence of methamphetamine and killing a police cadet. The cadet who was killed in the DUID accident was 21 years old. He was training to be a trooper at the time of the accident.
The man who was charged with driving under the influence was found guilty of a total of 14 charges, including attempted first-degree murder as well as first-degree murder. These charges were connected to a high-speed police chase that culminated in a crash in 2015. In addition to killing the 21-year-old cadet, who was posthumously named a trooper, the crash injured another trooper.
The guilty verdict came following prosecution testimony that lasted five days. The defense had no witnesses in the trial. The jury’s verdict for first-degree murder carries a required sentence of life behind prison bars with no parole.
When a person is accused of DUID in the state of Colorado, he or she is always presumed innocent until and unless his or her guilt is proven in a court of law. This standard is in place in an effort to prevent innocent individuals from being convicted of crimes they did not commit. Each element of the charges has to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt — a burden that is typically challenging to meet. One of the defense counsel’s primary areas of focus very well may be the evidence that the prosecution plans to provide in support of the criminal charges. The criminal defense will ultimately strive for an outcome that is in the best interests of the accused while also making sure that none of his or her rights are violated during the criminal proceedings.
Source: timescall.com, “Christopher Gebers guilty of murder in death of Colorado State Patrol cadet near Longmont“, Amelia Arvesen, Sept. 28, 2016