Justice of the Peace rejects plea agreement
Colo. State Senator Suzanne Williams
HARTLEY COUNTY, TEXAS -- A Colorado state senator's legal woes connected with a fatal traffic crash in December continue after the Justice of the Peace handling the case refuses to accept the senator's plea offer.
Justice of the Peace Edwyna Womble told Pronews 7 she has not accepted the plea agreement signed by Sen. Suzanne Williams and she will not accept it until it's changed, Williams had entered a no contest plea and paid $200 in fines and $68 in court costs.
"I have not accepted the plea agreement," Judge Womble told Pronews 7. "I will certainly accept a plea agreement, but not the one that was presented to me."
In a letter obtained exclusively by Pronews 7 from Judge Woble to Williams' attorney, Womble stated the court rejected the plea offer dated Sept. 23. The letter was mailed Oct. 7.
"Basically I want her to go by the law (and to do) what is acceptable by the State of Texas," Judge Womble said. "It's time to get closure to it but it has to be done right."
Williams was originally cited with three charges:
1. Unsecured child under 17 years of age
2. Child unsecured by a safety seat system under 8 years of age
3. Driving on wrong side of road not passing
The $200 fine paid by Williams was for the charge of crossing the center line, which she pleaded no contest to. According to Hartley County Attorney Shane Turner, the two seat-belt citations against Williams could be dismissed, as allowed by Texas law. Williams would have to take a child safety seat course and then the charges will be officially dismissed.
In the letter to William's attorney, Womble said the photo presented to the court of the safety seat and booster seat did not provide sufficient evidence to satisfy the court. In addition, the child safety course Williams would have to complete was deemed "not permissible." If she was allowed to take it, she would have to get approval fron the Texas Education Agency.
Williams has until Oct. 28 to reply to the plea agreement rejection. If she does not submit an acceptable plea back to the court, a trial could then be set for Nov.10.
Click here to read the letter.
The case stems from Dec. 26, 2010, when Williams' car veered into oncoming traffic near Channing on U.S. 385. Her car crashed into the car of Brianna Gomez, 30 of Amarillo. Gomez was pregnant and her son, Curran, was delivered by cesarean section. He remained in the hospital for a while but has since returned home.
A Hartley County grand jury declined to indict Williams in the case back in May. Instead, Williams was cited on the three misdemeanor charges.
