On Saturday April 22nd of 2006, Javier Alamilla was killed when he was flung from the pan of a pickup. Justo Reyes driving the pickup and more than that, police say he was driving drunk. Reyes was saddled with a slew of charges, 6 total, and today he pleaded guilty to the most serious charge - causing death by careless conduct. A mitigation plea was given by his boss and Justice Adolph Lucas will sentence him on Friday. After his plea, and with the help of a translator, Reyes told us why he chose to plead guilty.
Justo Reyes, Pleaded Guilty
"The attorney told me that would be the best way to go."
Anita Nembhard, Amandala Newspaper
"Did he believe he was negligent in any way or why he decided to go with what the attorney said?"
Justo Reyes,
"I won't say it would be under negligence because that night I distinctly remember telling them to sit in a seat that I had behind the vehicle and two of them decided to do so and the other two didn't."
Evidence in court shows that Reyes along with the now deceased Alamilla and four other men had left a bar where they were drinking on East Collet Canal en route to another bar. But before reaching there, Reyes passed North Front Street's intersection with Queen Street without stopping. Alamilla was sitting on the tail of the pickup and the sharp turn catapulted him from where he was sitting; he landed 50 feet from the pickup. He died half an hour later.
A urine test for alcohol found that Reyes had alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit. Reyes is being defended by attorney Michael Peyrefitte who has asked Justice Lucas to fine his client.
