Letter: Drunken driver deserved 20 years in prison

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BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Lorenia Leyva-Andrews buries her face in the shoulder of Gavin Nguyen, the best friend of her husband, Paul Andrews, who was killed by Jerry Putnam in a hit-and-run negligent homicide case. She was outraged by the sentence handed out by Judge Catherine Remigio on June 10.

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BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Jerry Putnam sits with attorney Dean Hoe in the courtroom of Judge Catherine Remigio in his sentencing for his hit-and-run negligent homicide conviction in the death of moped rider Paul Andrews.

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BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Scott Andrews stands and expresses his outrage in what he felt was a light sentence for Jerry Putnam from the gallery of Judge Catherine Remigio after she handed down a sentence of 5 years probation and 1 year of incarceration to Jerry Putnam for his hit-and-run negligent homicide conviction in the death of moped rider Paul Andrews. He is helped by Paul Andrews’ best friend Gavin Nguyen.

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A one-year jail sentence immediately reduced to 30 days in jail for the taking of a human life while driving drunk is absolutely ludicrous (“Drunken driver gets 30 days in jail, probation for fatal hit-and-run collision,” Star-Advertiser, June 11).

Not to mention that the driver, Jerry Putnam, fled the scene of the accident after stopping to assess any damage to his own vehicle. The picture posted of the driver wiping away his tears in court made me sick. What about the tears that the family of the deceased person will shed for many, many years to come?

What was the judge thinking? What an incredible insult to the family of the deceased moped rider.

In 2002, a police officer was sentenced to 20 years in jail for causing a death while driving drunk. In 1997, another man was sentenced to 15 years in jail for causing the deaths of three people on Farrington Highway.

The defendant was charged with two Class B felonies, each punishable by 10 years in prison. His sentence should have been 20 years. Why did the prosecutor in this case completely cave in on the sentencing issue?

Leonard W. Couzijn

Kailua

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