Kim Kardashian joined the 4.6 million people calling for clemency in support of a truck driver aged 26 who suffered a brake problem and caused a deadly crash, killing four. He was sentenced to 110 year imprisonment.
Rogel Aguilera Mederos, 26 years old was sentenced to 110 years of consecutive imprisonment
Rogel Aguilera Mederos (26), was driving a semi truck on Interstate 70 in Lakewood Colorado when he crashed into two dozen cars, including four others stuck in rush hour traffic.
Fireball explosions caused the collision to incinerate cars and trucks. Four people died.
On October 15, a jury found him guilty, and on December 13 he was sentenced to 110 years by Judge A. Bruce Jones – the minimum allowed by Colorado’s sentencing laws.
His 27 charges of criminality were convicted and he was sentenced to a harsh term that drew the ire of millions, including one juror.
Kardashian, who studies law, has made a lot of noise about prison reform and used her platform to free over a dozen federal prisoners. On Tuesday she posted to Instagram, to 271 million people, that she heard about the case, and had ‘taken a deep dive into it to find out the facts.
Kim Kardashian was photographed at the White House in June 2019, following a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian to discuss reforming the criminal justice system.
Rogel Aguilera Mederos (26), was driving a semi truck on Interstate 70 in Lakewood Colorado when he crashed into several vehicles, including four transporters caught in rush hour traffic. There were four victims. His December 13 sentencing is shown here.
Fireball explosions caused the collision to incinerate cars and trucks. Four people died. He was sentenced to 110 year imprisonment for 27 criminal charges.
Elle continued, “He wasn’t drunk or under influence. His brakes on tractor-trailer crashed.”
“Another surprising and unjust part about this case was that the judge did not want him to be sentenced to such a long sentence.
Jared Polis of Colorado is looking into clemency for Aguilera Mederos
He said that he was tied to his job because of Colorado’s mandatory minimums.
“Mandatory minimums eliminate judicial discretion and require that they be ended.
Kardashian also condemned Kardashian’s gleeful celebrations with the prosecutors. She said their gift to her of a brake-shoe trophy was a ‘death sentence’.
She also said Jared Polis (the governor) was “a very good person, and I know that he will do what is right.”
A jury found Aguilera Mederos guilty in October of 27 criminal charges.
- Four counts for vehicular homicide
- There are two counts of vehicular attack
- Six counts of first-degree assault with extreme indifference
- Ten charges of assault attempt in the first degree
- Unconstitutional reckless driving
- There are four counts of negligent driving that results in death
Also, he was not found guilty of 15 criminal attempted assaults in first degree.
Kardashian seen October 10th at an Afterparty after hosting Saturday Night Live
Polis’s Office stated that on December 14th, they received a request to clemency.
Polis stated that the application was being reviewed.
“We have just received Rogel Aguilera Mederos’ request and our legal department is reviewing it.” A spokesperson for Polis stated that once we have reached a decision we will announce.
Kayla Wildeman (27-year-old state prosecutor) celebrated the imposing of a harsh sentence on Rogel Aguilera Mederos, 26, in an unpublished Facebook post
On December 17, the Jefferson County district attorney, Alexis King, filed a motion asking the court to set a hearing to reconsider the sentence.
According to a spokesperson of the DA’s office, this action ‘essentially reopens’ the case.
It states that Colorado law mandated the imposition a sentence in the case. However, Colorado law permits for the Court to change its sentence in exceptional circumstances involving extenuating and unusual circumstances.
Kardashian, 27, also condemned Kayla Wildeman (the state prosecutor), for bragging about her harsh conviction, and showing off a trophy that was made from a brake shoe, to commemorate their “success.”
Wildemn shared a photo of the trophy on Facebook and praised her deputy DA.
“Get a partner for a trial like Trevor Moritzky.
“He made a souvenir out of a semitruck’s brake shoe.”
“What an extraordinary gift, from someone truly special.”
This post has been removed.
Wildeman captioned the photo with a contentious caption, referring specifically to Trevor Moritzky (her Colorado deputy DA) who gave her the award. “He made the brake shoes from semi-trucks into mementos.”
King, Wildeman and DA’s boss said that Wildeman’s post ‘was not in my best taste and doesn’t reflect the values I have.
She stated, “We have addressed this internally.”
King’s spokesperson didn’t give any details about the solution. King stated that the brake shoes were not part of the evidence.
Kardashian said this week: “Another shocker in the case was the post made by the prosecutor following his conviction.
“This tragic accident claimed the lives of four people.
“Rogel is facing a lifetime sentence because of the accident that will impact not only his life but also his son and wife’s lives.
“But, yet, for some strange reason, prosecutor thought it would make a funny photo to post an image of a trophy brake shoe she received from her colleague with a plaque?”
‘Makes me so sick.’
Kardashian stated, “I pray that Governor Polis (who has been a leader in supporting reforms to increase the dignity of human life in the legal system) will be able to commute his sentence.”
Kardashian, a celebrity and a strong advocate for the reform of our legal system, has made a name for herself.
She’s currently studying law and her advisors are impressed by her commitment and attention to detail.
She heard Alice Marie Johnson’s story in October 2017. Johnson was convicted of eight counts in criminal court for nonviolent drug offense. Johnson is sentenced to life imprisonment.
Mic posted the story on Twitter.
Johnson claimed in the video, “Life gave me no chance for parole because it isn’t parole in prison.”
Kardashian commented on the video by retweeting it and saying: “This is so unfair …’
Johnson was Johnson’s 63rd Birthday on May 30, 2018. She went to the White House to discuss prison reform and to seek Johnson’s pardon. She was pardoned a week later.
BuzzFeed reported that within one year she had pardoned 19 people.
Trump added Chris Young to his pardon list in January 2018. This was a man Kardashian has been advocating for since 2018.
Young was only 22 when the ‘three strikes law’ gave Young a life sentence for non-violent drug and coca possession charges.
Trump commuted Young’s 32-year-old sentence.
Kardashian’s support for Aguilera-Mederos – a green card holder, who immigrated from Cuba and lives in Texas with his wife and son – adds to the already significant well of support.
An impartial juror that helped him convict said the sentence of 110 days in jail is “not right.”
Judge A. Bruce Jones has said his hands are tied due to mandatory minimum laws. Aguilera Mederos was sentenced by Jones to be punished according to all the available ranges for each of the 27 criminal offenses.
A Change.org petition for Aguilera Mederos to be released from prison has been ranked third on the website after it received 4.6 millions signatures.
Pictured: a screenshot of the petition for Aguilera-Mederos, who was sentenced to prison for 110 consecutive for causing a fireball crash that killed four people
As traffic was stopped at both ends, some of the lumber Aguilera-Mederos was hauling was scattered across I-70
The aftermath of the crash caused smoke to billow across the sky.
The juror who chose to remain anonymous told FOX31 that he cried his eyes out.
A juror called it 100-fold over the correct sentence and stated that the trucker is responsible for the wreckage, but Judge A. Bruce Jones ought to have given the driver a more appropriate sentence.
Jones stated that he is bound by mandatory minimum laws.
The juror stated that there was something not right with the court’s inability to intervene and correct the writing.
FOX31 was also informed by the juror that he felt for the victims’ families, but felt compelled not to support Aguilera Mederos’ sentence.
‘I don’t [think]He said that the governor ought to sit down and give him pardon.
“But, to step in and tell you that this is what happened would be a better sentence.”
More than 4.6 million Change.org petitioners are calling for the trucker’s sentence to be lessened.
According to a petition sent to Jefferson County court and Polis, “Rogel Lazaro aguilera-Mederos… does not have any record of his driving record or criminal history.”
Clemency can only be granted at the state-level by the governor.
In December 2020, Polis commutated four sentences and gave 18 pardons. Clemency is usually a reduction in sentence or a pardon.
The petition goes on to say that Aguilera-Mederos could have ‘done things differently to avoid the courts,’ but ultimately commended him for taking responsibility and apologizing to the victim’s families.
According to Change.org, it has been voted third on the site’s most popular petition.
Aguilera Mederos broke down during his December 13 sentencing.
He stated, “I am not criminal.”
“I am not a criminal. “I am not a criminal.
“When I see my charges, it is a murderer. This is not me.
“I never had any thoughts of hurting someone in my whole existence.”
In October, he was found guilty of 27 criminal charges, including assault, vehicular homicide and reckless driving in a fiery accident in April 2019. A county judge ordered that Aguilera Mederos be sentenced.
The viral TikToks show outraged Colorado drivers who are protesting the 110-year sentence that a friend of his caused in an accident that resulted in four deaths on a Colorado interstate. These photos may not be current.
Aguilera Mederos said that his truck’s brakes failed, and that he lost control. However, prosecutors suggested in court that Aguilera Mederos could have used a ramp to avoid the accident, which would have been miles away from the scene.
They said that he made “a bunch of poor decisions” instead.
A series of small protests were raised by truck drivers following the sentencing.
TikTok video showed truck drivers refusing entry to the state to protest the harsh sentence.
While the videos gained popularity recently, the Colorado Motor Carriers Association claimed on Friday that it was not aware of any attempts to boycott the video.
ABC News’ Greg Fulton, the president of the association said that he had not seen any evidence that would support a boycott.
Fulton said that she doesn’t believe there is any boycott of shipping companies or missing other items.
Fulton stated that he felt for the driver and called the accident a “mechanical failure”, as is the petition.
He stated, “It is an inexperienced driver, not familiar with mountain drivers.”
Aguilera Mederos, (pictured in a photo file), burst into tears at his sentencing and said: “I am not criminal. I’m not a killer. I’m not a murderer.
He also crashed into four semi-trucks
The impact of the collision created a huge fireball that incinerated some vehicles and trucks.
Aguilera Mederos worked for a Houston trucking company when the accident occurred.
His 18-wheeler truck was full of lumber.
Prosecutors claimed that he was heading eastbound, travelling at about 85 mph down the interstate.
They said he swerved at times, forcing others off the road before he crashed into two dozen vehicles causing a giant fireball, FOX 31 reports.
The scene left behind was one of “significant, just incredible carnage,” Ty Countryman, Lakewood Police spokesperson, stated during a press conference after the accident, noting that many bodies were still within the wreckage several hours later.
As the fire spread across the city, cars quickly stopped moving in all directions. Smoke billowed from every direction.
Countryman stated, “This looks to be the most serious accident we have had in Lakewood,”
The crash resulted in Doyle Harrison (61), of Hudson, Colorado, and William Bailey (67), of Arvadal. Miguel Angel Lamas Arrellano (24) of Denver. Staney Politano (69) of Arvada were also killed.
Six more were also taken to the hospital.
Stanley Politano of Arvada (Colorado), left and Miguel Angel Lamas Arrelano of Denver, right were among those who died in the fatal crash.
Doyle Harrison (left) was also killed in the inferno, as was Victim William Bailey (pictured right with his wife, Gage Evans)
According to his defense attorney, he didn’t know the truck brakes were burning or that he wouldn’t be able stop.
Aguilera Mederos also claimed that Aguilera Mederos’ actions were a series negligent decisions and that he didn’t intend to inflict any harm.
Aguilera Mederos begged the judge for leniency before he was sentenced, and he broke down as a result.
‘It’s hard. He said, “This was a horrible accident, I’m sure.” I take responsibility for the accident, however.
He continued, “I’ve never considered hurting anybody in my whole life, and Jesus Christ knows that, he also knows my heart.”
“I’m not a criminal. I’m not a murderer.”
Your honor, ‘The accident was not intentional. I did everything I could as a man. In order to prevent harm from anyone else, I was willing to put myself in danger.
He said he was trying to avoid the traffic. However, he noted that he didn’t run in the aftermath of the incident ‘because he respects the laws.
He said, “I am sorry. Sorry for your loss.