Chapter
16
Court
I
was allowed to speak at the sentencing hearing for the man who killed
my wife, Naomi. Brunette Holly had coached me as to what to say, how
to say it. I went over the accident, how it happened, and what it
looked like in detail. I described my addiction to pain pills, the
flashbacks, and my struggle. I talked about Trout, how he was just
two years old and how confused he was. He called both the Hollys
“mom,” he called everyone “mom.” I was raising him on my
own, as all four of Trout's grandparents are dead, and I'm an only
child. Suddenly, I just asked, “can I stop now?”
The
judge said, “yes, and thank-you for speaking.” I thanked her and
the court.
He
was 52 and had no prior convictions, just out drunk on a New Year's
Eve. The sentencing guidelines were four to 10 years in California
state prison. He got six plus 10 years of probation. He cried like
a baby when sentencing was handed down, much more of a show of
emotion than when he heard my story.
The
civil lawsuit wrapped up that week as well. We settled out of court
for $1.7 million, $1 million of which was from his insurance agency,
and the rest would come out of his assets, which included two
businesses and a house. I let my lawyers take care of it.
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