In less than two weeks, a man who admitted to a drunk driving accident that killed a pedestrian will be released from prison, after just 120 days of shock therapy.
The judge said the accident’s victim, Daniel Reimann, had a blood alcohol level that was three times the legal limit, and that did factor into his decision to release Curtis Mertensmeyer. Kelly Reimann, the mother of the victim, has another explanation for the sentence.
"The reason Curtis Mertensmeyer got 120 days is because his mom and dad are rich and they're part of the system."
Reimann could not control her outrage outside of a Jackson County courtroom after Judge John Torrence decided to release the man responsible for her son's death.
"I need somebody who can help me make sure that what he's done is ethical, cause I don't believe it is."
Judge Torrence would not allow cameras in the courtroom, but did inform the court that both Curtis Mertensmeyer and Daniel Reimann were intoxicated the night of the hit and run accident.
He noted that Daniel Reimann’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit as he walked in the street, an extreme intoxication. The judge said this hindered his ability to avoid Curtis Mertensmeyer's speeding car. Kelly Reimann questioned this reasoning.
"He was suppose to jump into the median to avoid a speeding drunk driver?"
Mertensmeyer's mother, attorney Jane Stafford, and her husband left the courtroom wearing dark glasses and refused to comment on her son's release. Security guards escorted the couple to their car, as their attorney J. R. Hobbs responded to accusations of preferential treatment by the court system.
"This court did not make any decisions on any inappropriate consideration of the facts. For Curtis to accept responsibility we know it doesn't turn the clock back, we live in a rule of law and the judge made a fair decision," said Hobbs.
According to court documents, it was Mertensmeyer's mother, Attorney Jane Stafford's idea to evade arrest. The judge said it would be unfair to punish Mertensmeyer for the acts of his mother.
Mertensmeyer is scheduled to be released on June 30th. He'll be on supervised probation for two years.
Under the conditions of probation, Mertensmeyer cannot consume alcohol, he must pay court costs, and cannot operate a motor vehicle unless it's equipped with an interlock ignition device.
