GOLDEN, Colo. — A hearing over the sentence given to a Houston truck driver, who caused a fiery wreck that killed four people, will continue next month.
Today, in a virtual hearing, Jefferson County, Colo., District Attorney Alexis King said the defense asked for more time, and the court had questions for both sides, so a new hearing was set for Thursday, January 13, at 2:30 p.m. Houston time.
King again on Monday asked for a resentencing of 20 to 30 years for Rogel Aguilera-Mederos. The original 110-year sentence given to him earlier this month sparked protests and an online petition was signed almost 5 million times for commutation or clemency.
"This is an exceptional case and this requires an exception process," said King on Monday. "In finding its verdict, the jury recognized the nature of the defendant’s conduct which warrants a prison sentence. The defendant caused the deaths of four people, serious bodily injury to two others and the impact of his truck caused damage to many more."
King said knowing that, her office started the resentencing process the same week Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced so that an alternative sentence that wasn't bound by mandatory sentencing structures could be considered.
RELATED: District attorney to ask for 20-30 year sentence for Houston trucker involved in deadly wreck
A jury in October found Aguilera-Mederos guilty on 27 counts in connection with the crash that killed four people and injured more in April 2019. The jury had to decide whether the crash resulted from a series of bad choices by the driver or a mechanical failure he had no control over.
Colorado mandatory sentencing laws
The case has brought attention to Colorado's mandatory sentencing laws, which experts say played a role in the length of the sentence.
"My office will be asking the court to consider a sentencing range of 20-30 years when the Court is prepared to address resentencing," King said in a statement Thursday. "As the jury found, Mr. Aguilera-Mederos knowingly made multiple active choices that resulted in the death of four people, serious injuries to others, and mass destruction. This sentencing range reflects an appropriate outcome for that conduct, which was not an accident."
Leonard Martinez, attorney for Aguilera-Mederos, said that a sentence of 20 to 30 years "is still not consistent with the precedent of prior similar cases." He said Aguilera-Mederos' defense team will "keep all options open in achieving justice for Rogel," including the possibility of clemency.
Gov. Jared Polis said his office has received an application for clemency from Aguilera-Mederos' attorney and that his legal team was reviewing the application.
District Court Judge Bruce Jones sentenced Aguilera-Mederos to the required 10-year minimum for each of the six counts of first-degree assault with extreme indifference, to be served consecutively. He was also sentenced to the required minimum of five years for each of the 10 counts of attempted first-degree assault with extreme indifference, also to be served consecutively.
The judge said the law required him to order those sentences to be served consecutively.