Nebraska appeals court says drunken driving sentence too lenient

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10250896

BY JASON KUIPER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

A ruling from the Nebraska Court of Appeals Tuesday affirms what Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine has said about the sentence given to a repeat drunken driver who crashed into an Omaha police officer: It was too lenient.

Last February, Gregory Hatt, 52, of Ralston, was sentenced by Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk to 10 days in jail, two years probation and a $1,000 fine.

The sentence stems from a Feb. 10, 2006, accident in which Hatt ran into a police cruiser driven by Michael Versch near 72nd and Main Streets in Ralston. Versch had to retire in June 2007 because of the accident.

Hatt has six drunken-driving convictions. Prosecutors originally asked that he spend 20 to 60 months in jail for the crash and a year in jail for violating probation from a separate drunken-driving conviction, and for Hatt’s license to be revoked for 30 years.

The Nebraska Court of Appeals ruled the sentence was excessively lenient and clears the way for a new judge to impose a greater sentence.

"We’re obviously pleased the Court of Appeals agreed with us that the sentence was excessively lenient," Kleine said. "That was our purpose in taking it up."

Kleine said the case at some point will go before a different district court judge for re-sentencing.

Hatt was unavailable for comment Tuesday morning.

[Richard Steele]

1. Works for me. The guy has SIX convictions for DUI...

He needs to be off the streets , just as a matter of public safety.
He's obviously not willing to stop endangering people, so someone
needs to MAKE him stop.

[spoony]

2. The prosecutors are right on.

The streets would be safer if every DA office took this sort of stance.