‘Not Justice For My Son’: Driver In DUI Crash That Killed Pregnant Woman’s Baby Gets Early Release

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The antheral sentenced to six years successful situation for causing a Rio Linda clang that sent a pistillate to the infirmary and caused her to prematurely present her babe backmost successful 2019 volition get an aboriginal release.

A merchandise announcement sent to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office notes that Ronny Ward volition beryllium released successful November aft serving little than fractional his archetypal sentence. The reason: He received credits for an associate’s degree.

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The baby’s mother, Ciara Villegas, was six months large erstwhile she was hit. Her baby, RJ, was delivered by an exigency C-section but died days later.

In 2019, helium was not charged with vehicular manslaughter, adjacent though the clang killed babe RJ. California instrumentality defines execution arsenic a sidesplitting of a quality being oregon a fetus, but for murder, determination has to beryllium proven malice oregon intent. For manslaughter, a sidesplitting without malice, the instrumentality does not see a fetus, lone a quality being.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has the powerfulness to alteration an inmate’s condemnation clip based connected credits. This is done Proposition 57, a instrumentality that was passed successful 2016 that gives the CDCR the powerfulness to bash so. Credits whitethorn see Milestone Completion Credit, Rehabilitative Achievement Credit oregon an Educational Merit Credit.

Villegas wrote connected societal media that Ward’s merchandise was “not justness for my son” and she was aggravated helium had the quality to person a degree.

Advocates for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) who person rallied astir Villegas are coming to her side, erstwhile again. One says an aboriginal merchandise makes it hard for victims and families to heal.

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“To larn that whitethorn beryllium chopped successful half, oregon adjacent a third, it’s very, precise hard for victims to instrumentality that arsenic immoderate benignant of justice,” said Rhonda Campbell with MADD.

The extremity is to springiness inmates incentives truthful erstwhile they re-enter society, they tin contribute, according to lawyer Justin Ward.

“What bash we want? Do we privation idiosyncratic that went to situation with nary inducement to alteration their behaviour due to the fact that they were conscionable going to bash each their time?” helium said.

Looking astatine an aboriginal merchandise arsenic an accidental for an inmate to lend to nine successful a productive mode without making the aforesaid mistakes is what lawyer Ward says is the hard portion for immoderate involved.

“If you don’t springiness them immoderate crushed to beryllium a exemplary inmate past they’ll apt proceed the behaviors that led to them being incarcerated successful the archetypal place,” helium said.

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Ronny Ward is acceptable to beryllium released connected Nov. 16.