Man Gets 25 To Life Under Three Strikes Law For DUI
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) -- Placer County Superior Court handed down a 25-years-to-life sentence in prison to a man charged with drunk driving and endangerment to society.
Douglas Harold Doyle, 51, received the harsh sentence, which many agree is appropriate for his crimes, after he plead guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. He simply couldn't be forgiven by the judge after striking out in California's Three-Strikes law. In 1987, Doyle was charged with vehicular manslaughter for killing a school teacher in another alcohol related driving incident.
Kathleen Fenley, the daughter of the slain school teacher, had much to say about Doyle's destruction on her life and also spoke in fear for others.
"My fear is that he will continue to drink and drive, continue to have disrespect for the law and continue to commit crimes," said Fenley.
In addition to Doyle's parole violations and domestic violence charges, which include assaulting his girlfriend with a sword, Placer County District Attorney's Office also cited five felony charges, four misdemeanors and four prior sentencings to state prisons as evidence for Doyle's strikes. On February 2nd this criminal history was used as hard evidence to enable the judge to impose the final third felony strike and the 25-year-to-life sentence.
In 2010, after a lengthy history of problems and sentencing, Doyle vowed to stop drinking, but with no progress being made, the man still appeared to be a detriment to society according to prosecutor Christopher Cattran. He had serious doubts about Doyle's future being bright.
"The defendant's criminal conduct makes him a serious and continuing danger to society. There is no reason for the defendant to escape the consequences of the choices he has made to repeatedly break the law," stated Cattran.
