Colorado Governor Jared Polis has reduced the 110-year sentence of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos after fierce pressure from politicians, celebrities including Kim Kardashian and even the victims’ families.
Millions of people were outraged by Aguilera Mederos’ December 13 harsh sentence. Kardashian was also among them.
Kardashian took to Twitter Thursday after learning of the news of Aguilera-Mederos clemency, where she thanked Governor Polis for granting the 26-year-old a commutation for the fatal car accident that left four people dead earlier this year.
A petition to Change.org, which was requesting the commutation of his sentence to time served, had at least 4.5 million signatures by Thursday.
Aguilera Mederos, a semi-truck driver, crashed into approximately two dozen vehicles on Interstate 70 near Lakewood in Colorado. Four people were killed when a fireball explosion caused the impact to incinerate trucks and cars.
He was sentenced for 110 years.
Pictures: Kardashian’s Twitter on Thursday, where she thanked GovernorJared Poles for his 26-year-old Rogel Aguilera Mederos commutation
Pictured: Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ executive order where Aguilera Mederos was granted clemency starting at a 2091 parole eligible date and ending in 2026
Pictured is a petition from Change.org with 4.5 Million signatures to support the commute of his sentence.
Aguilera Mederos, who was guilty of 27 charges criminal in October, received the long sentence on December 13.
Kardashian, who studies law, called for Aguilera Mederos to be sentenced less.
She posted on Instagram to her 271 million followers that she had heard about the case and ‘took a deep dive in it to figure out what the situation is.’
She said, “He was not drunk nor under the influence. His brakes were defective on the tractor-trailer.
“Another surprising and unjust part about this case was that the judge did not want him to be sentenced to such a long sentence.
“But, due to the Colorado mandatory minimums, his hands were tied.
Aguilera-Mederos collided into more than 20 cars with his semi-truck on April 2019. This accident killed four people, and left many others injured.
After the accident, six other victims had to be brought to the hospital.
“Mandatory minimums eliminate judicial discretion and require that they be ended.
Kardashian condemned the joyous celebrations by the prosecutors and said that their gift of a trophy for a brake shoe made her sick.
She said Jared Polis was a good man and that he would do right.
Rogel Aguilera–Mederos (pictured), was sentenced to 110 years imprisonment earlier in the month in compliance with Colorado’s minimum sentencing guidelines
Aguilera Mederos claimed that the brakes of his semitrailer broke while he was going down a steep hill on Interstate 70, Rocky Mountain foothills.
According to his defense attorney, he didn’t know the truck brakes were burning or that he wouldn’t be able stop.
Aguilera Mederos argued, in addition to arguing that Aguilera Mederos’ actions were a series negligence decisions that were made with the intent of hurting no one.
However, prosecutors said he shouldn’t have used a ramp that was designed to be runaway in such circumstances. Aguilera Mederos said that he was trying to get around traffic while shifting to slow down.
A jury found Aguilera Mederos guilty on October 15 of 27 charges including:
- Four counts for vehicular homicide
- There are two counts of vehicular attack
- Six counts of first-degree assault with extreme indifference
- 10 charges of criminal attempt in assault in first degree
- Unconstitutional reckless driving
- There are four counts of negligent driving that results in death
He also was found not guilty on 15 charges of attempted criminal assaults in first degree.
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)
Aguilera Mederos was about to be sentenced on December 13. He made a statement, apologising to victims’ families and weeping as he spoke.
‘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 am not criminal and I am not murderer.
“The accident was not intentional. It wasn’t intended, your honor. As a man, I tried my best. To avoid harming any other person, I placed myself in danger.
He stated that he attempted to avoid traffic and that he didn’t flee afterward ‘because I respect laws.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the loss.
The relatives of victims supported Aguilera Mederos getting at least some time in prison at his sentencing hearing. King, however, stated that she had talked to survivors of the crash as well as the families of those who were killed about the possibility of Aguilera Mederos being sentenced again before making her request.
A juror called the sentence ‘100% of what it should be’, and suggested that the trucker responsible for the collision was the driver. Judge A. Bruce Jones ought to have given the trucker a more appropriate sentence.
Jones claimed that his hands were tied by the 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]The governor should be allowed to rest and ask for his clemency, and he was freed.
“But, to step in and tell you that this is what happened would be a better sentence.”
As of Tuesday, almost 5 million people signed a Change.org calling for the trucker’s sentence to be lessened.
“Rogel Lazaro aguilera-Mederos…has no on his driving record, nor on his criminal background,” states a petition to Jefferson County court.
Only the governor can give clemency to the state.
In December 2020, Polis commutated four sentences and gave 18 pardons. A pardon or sentence reduction is usually the result of clemency.
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 page.
Kardashian has previously encouraged Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to spare the life of death row inmate Julius Jones who is due to be executed in three days after the governor refused to see his mother.
Jones, 41 years old, will be executed in the execution of Paul Howell (edmond businessman) who was shot dead during a carjacking.
Jones claims that he is innocent. He also asserts that he was made to confess by Christopher Jordan, his high school friend, and co-defendant, who had testified against Jones. Jordan was freed from prison 15 years later.
Kardashian has long been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform and said that they all are anxiously waiting to hear from Governor Stitt.
Pardon and Parole Board of the state voted 3-1 in favor Stitt’s recommendation to grant Jones clemency and to commute Jones’ sentence to life imprisonment.