GOP girl drinks 5 beers, kills woman in hit-and-run, gets probation

[jsr]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/police-alcohol-suspected-in-tarrytown-fatal-hit--1/nRbXJ/

Updated: 10:56 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Police: Alcohol suspected in Tarrytown fatal hit-and-run

Alcohol is now suspected to be a factor in a fatal hit-and-run crash last week in which a state legislative employee was charged with failing to stop and render aid, police said Wednesday.

Gabrielle Nestande, 23, was arrested Friday in connection with the crash in Tarrytown that killed 30-year-old Courtney Griffin.

Griffin, a nanny who used to work as a veterinary technician, was walking near the west curb line in the 1600 block of Exposition Boulevard when she was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene, police said. Her body was found in a driveway about 5 a.m. Friday.

A few hours later, an anonymous 911 caller reported spotting a black BMW 3 Series sedan with a broken windshield parked in the driveway of a home in the 3100 block of Windsor Road, a half-mile from where Griffin's body was found.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/nestande-hit-and-run-trial-set-for-oct

In the meantime, Nestande, who was working for Rep. Wayne Christian at the time of her arrest, is free on bail.

She is the daughter of Bruce Nestande, a California politician who is a former Republican California State Assemblyman and Orange County Supervisor. He was also special assistant to Gov. Ronald Reagan from 1971–1972 and executive director of the California Republican Party from 1972–1973.

Gabrielle Nestande is also the half-sister of Rep. Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert, Calif.)

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/friend-nestande-said-she-had-5-beers

After five days of evidence that included surveillance video, police interviews, witness testimony, and an accident reconstructionist, the prosecution in the Gabrielle Nestande trial rested its case late Monday.

The day began with a witness who testified Nestande sent a text message to her, writing that she had five beers to drink on the night Courtney Griffin was killed in May 2011.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/nestande-gets-10-years-probation-for-fatal-wreck/nWXkt/

Posted: 8:56 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, 2013
Nestande gets 10 years’ probation for fatal wreck

A Travis County jury on Friday recommended 10 years’ probation for Gabrielle Nestande for criminally negligent homicide in the May 2011 death of Courtney Griffin.

The panel of nine men and three women deliberated four hours beginning about 11 a.m. before returning the sentence. Nestande could have received up to 10 years in prison.

[MrScorpio]

1. One set of rules for connected, white Republicans...

And another set of rules for everyone else.

That's America, baby!

[derby378]

2. Pulling strings for Daddy's little girl...

How many of us normal folks would have gotten a decade behind bars?

[JI7]

3. did any of the jury members speak afterwards and give their reasons ?

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. that's terrible.

[Dash87]

5. Think she cares? I doubt it.

That woman she hit was just one of the little people. Nothing can't be fixed by a little bit of money and power. Like water under the bridge.

[tabasco]

6. Good thing she didn't have any marijuana on her!

Or she'd be in REAL trouble!

[Dash87]

7. I doubt it. People of that status are allowed marijuana.

[antigone382]

8. Your damn signature gets me every time!!!

I probably should not mention my thoughts on the actual OP. I am a big proponent of restorative justice over retributive justice in the first place (regardless of one's political affiliation), but I don't think that would be a particularly well-received perspective in this case.

[SheilaT]

9. The reality is that killing someone with your car while drunk

is a very underpunished crime.

Here in New Mexico about four years ago a drunk driver hit and killed four teens. Got off completely. Happens all the time. I bet everyone who reads this thread can post more than one example from their own town, and probably more than one can cite from personal experience.

[MagickMuffin]

10. Gabrielle Nestande was twenty-three when she killed Courtney Griffin, hardly qualifies as a girl!

She should have been sentenced to jail. Courtney certainly won't be getting any second chances