Thank You California Democrats
2018-07-01 22:54:51 UTC
An attorney representing a woman charged with murder and driving
under the influence in a March 29 crash that killed three Las
Vegas teenagers in Huntington Beach argued in court documents
this week that her client is not a flight risk and that her bail
should be reduced from $4 million.
Bani Duarte, 27, of San Clemente faces three counts of murder
and one count of driving under the influence causing injury, as
well as a possible sentencing enhancement on allegations of
inflicting great bodily injury. She pleaded not guilty Monday to
all charges, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
If convicted, she could be sentenced to 51 years to life in
state prison, according to prosecutors.
Duarte, who is being held at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana,
appeared Thursday in Superior Court in Westminster for a
scheduled hearing to review her bail amount. However, attorneys
decided to delay the hearing until May 29. They did not provide
a reason.
During Duarte's arraignment Monday, Judge Thomas Glazier set her
bail at $4 million. Prosecutors argued that it should be $5
million, while Duarte's defense attorney, Debra White, suggested
$100,000.
Duarte, who is listed in jail records as a receptionist, was
initially arrested after the crash on suspicion of driving under
the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter and posted
$100,000 bail three days later.
Investigators said they took Duarte into custody again at about
1 p.m. Sunday in Downey on a warrant after they received
information that she may have intended to flee the country to
avoid prosecution. It isn't clear what information led to that
conclusion.
White wrote in a court motion filed Monday that Duarte has four
children younger than 10 and shares custody of them with their
father. She has no family outside California and therefore would
be unlikely to flee, White argued.
Duarte is a permanent legal resident of the United States who
has lived in the country since she was a child, White said. It
isn't clear where she lived before moving to the U.S.
The teenagers who were killed were visiting Southern California
from Las Vegas for spring break when the fiery crash occurred
shortly after 1 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia
Street.
Authorities allege Duarte was traveling north on PCH in a
Hyundai Sonata when she rear-ended the teens' Toyota, which was
stopped at a red light at the intersection with Magnolia.
The impact pushed the Toyota through the intersection and forced
it into a pole, and it burst into flames, prosecutors said.
Brooke Hawley, 17, Dylan Mack, 18, and A.J. Rossi, 17, were
killed. Alexis Vargas, a fourth teenager in the Toyota, survived
the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
***@latimes.com
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-bail-
review-20180503-story.html
under the influence in a March 29 crash that killed three Las
Vegas teenagers in Huntington Beach argued in court documents
this week that her client is not a flight risk and that her bail
should be reduced from $4 million.
Bani Duarte, 27, of San Clemente faces three counts of murder
and one count of driving under the influence causing injury, as
well as a possible sentencing enhancement on allegations of
inflicting great bodily injury. She pleaded not guilty Monday to
all charges, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
If convicted, she could be sentenced to 51 years to life in
state prison, according to prosecutors.
Duarte, who is being held at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana,
appeared Thursday in Superior Court in Westminster for a
scheduled hearing to review her bail amount. However, attorneys
decided to delay the hearing until May 29. They did not provide
a reason.
During Duarte's arraignment Monday, Judge Thomas Glazier set her
bail at $4 million. Prosecutors argued that it should be $5
million, while Duarte's defense attorney, Debra White, suggested
$100,000.
Duarte, who is listed in jail records as a receptionist, was
initially arrested after the crash on suspicion of driving under
the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter and posted
$100,000 bail three days later.
Investigators said they took Duarte into custody again at about
1 p.m. Sunday in Downey on a warrant after they received
information that she may have intended to flee the country to
avoid prosecution. It isn't clear what information led to that
conclusion.
White wrote in a court motion filed Monday that Duarte has four
children younger than 10 and shares custody of them with their
father. She has no family outside California and therefore would
be unlikely to flee, White argued.
Duarte is a permanent legal resident of the United States who
has lived in the country since she was a child, White said. It
isn't clear where she lived before moving to the U.S.
The teenagers who were killed were visiting Southern California
from Las Vegas for spring break when the fiery crash occurred
shortly after 1 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia
Street.
Authorities allege Duarte was traveling north on PCH in a
Hyundai Sonata when she rear-ended the teens' Toyota, which was
stopped at a red light at the intersection with Magnolia.
The impact pushed the Toyota through the intersection and forced
it into a pole, and it burst into flames, prosecutors said.
Brooke Hawley, 17, Dylan Mack, 18, and A.J. Rossi, 17, were
killed. Alexis Vargas, a fourth teenager in the Toyota, survived
the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
***@latimes.com
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-bail-
review-20180503-story.html