LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The person who hit and killed an 18-year-old Las Vegas highschool senior earlier this 12 months might spend as much as twenty years behind bars.
On Monday, Clark County District Court docket Choose Mary Kay Holthus sentenced 37-year-old Keenan Jackson to 8-20 years in jail, with 190 days’ credit score for time served.
Jackson was driving underneath the affect when he hit McKenzie Scott on Might 2 close to Buffalo Drive, simply steps away from Arbor View Excessive College. Scott was set to graduate inside days of the crash.
Arbor View Excessive College scholar McKenzie Scott, 18. (Courtesy of Tiffany Reynolds)
“The world lost a really great human being the day Keenan Jackson killed her,” Tiffany Reynolds, Scott’s mom, advised Choose Holthus earlier than he was sentenced.
Choose Holthus mentioned that Jackson had his license suspended on the time of his arrest.
Jackson apologized to the Scott household for his actions and took duty. She was days away from graduating and deliberate to attend the College of Nevada, Las Vegas, within the fall to be a prison investigator.
“I know that he didn’t mean for all of this to happen, and I know that he’s sorry. But his apologies will never be enough. Our family believes in justice. You do something wrong and you have to pay for that accordingly,” Reynolds mentioned.
(KLAS)
Tiffany Reynolds hugging Jackson’s household (KLAS).
Based on his arrest report, Jackson’s preliminary breath check registered a blood-alcohol degree of 0.29, greater than 3 times Nevada’s authorized restrict of 0.08.
There was a second following Jackson’s sentencing, when McKenzie Scott’s mom and two members of Jackson’s household embraced.
Clark County District Legal professional Steve Wolfson held a press convention after the listening to and described Jackson’s case as egregious.
“This is a case where his blood alcohol level was three times the limit, number one. Number two, it was 11:30 in the morning. Number three, McKenzie was at a crosswalk. So, it’s not like a person went out to dinner and had a few cocktails,” Wolfson mentioned. “This was a person in the early morning hours who chose to consume a substantial amount of alcohol.”
Wolfson additionally referred to as on state lawmakers to move harder DUI legal guidelines throughout the particular session, which sources advised 8 Information Now could be scheduled for Thursday in Carson Metropolis.
“We need to increase the penalties on these DUI cases,” Wolfson mentioned, urging legislators to take up Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s crime invoice.
Based on the district lawyer, egregious DUI instances ought to be handled as second-degree homicide, which was an concept that failed final session.
Jackson’s sentence means he will likely be eligible for parole after serving eight years. The 8 Information Now Investigators have discovered that the majority DUI offenders sentenced to 8-20 years serve the minimal.
