Tucson woman Maralee Mendoza faces a maximum penalty of 27-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to several charges related to a DUI hit-and-run last September, reports the Arizona Daily Star.
Mendoza was indicted last October for leaving the scene, two counts of aggravated assault and four driving under the influence counts after the September 15 incident in which she allegedly hit a pedestrian while she was crossing the street and fled the scene while drunk. The pedestrian was left severely injured with broken limbs and a head injury.
Because she pleaded guilty to all counts, she faces a mandatory prison term ranging between five and 15 years on one of the aggravated assault counts, probation or prison for the other aggravated assault count and leaving the scene, and jail time for the DUI-related counts, according to the Star.
Typically, defendants enter a plea agreement in order to avoid a jury trial, in which they may receive harsher sentences. Other benefits of defense plea bargains in addition to a possible reduction in sentencing are the opportunity to trade risk for certainty and the promise of resolving the issue quickly. Plea bargains may not always be in the best interest of the defendant, however, and an experienced criminal defense attorney can often offer the best advice when facing such an agreement.
The 26-year-old Tucson woman was found to have a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.20 when she hit the 19-year-old pedestrian, according to court documents. The amount is almost three-times more than the legal limit in Arizona.
After pleading guilty, Maralee Mendoza will be sentenced on November 7 by a Pima County Superior Court judge for the DUI hit-and-run charges.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Tucson Woman Enters Plea Deal in DUI-related Crash (Associated Press)
- Defense Plea Bargains (FindLaw)
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