The ongoing DUI trial of Cecil Conner finally ended with the 24-year-old man denied a new trial and sentenced to nine-and-a-half-years in jail for the drunk driving death of Michael Langford Jr.
In May 2010, Conner was the passenger in girlfriend Kathie LaFond's car when they were pulled over after leaving a party. In the backseat of the car was LaFond's 5-year-old son, Michael Langford Jr., reports the Chicago Sun-Times. LaFond was eventually arrested for driving on a suspended license, and Conner was allegedly told to drive the 5-year-old home.
Conner was admittedly "pretty drunk" at the time of the accident, and he didn't get too far after the police hauled off his designated driver. Conner crashed into a tree, killing Langford. Conner had a blood alcohol level of 0.208, reports the Sun-Times.
There were some evidentiary issues with the case, including secret tape recordings of Conner and LaFond's jailhouse telephone conversation. But eventually a court dismissed Conner's defense that he was simply following a cop's order, and found him guilty of aggravated DUI.
Conner had asked for a new trial due to the evidentiary issues, but last week that appeal was denied after going all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court. This week, Cecil Conner learned his fate, and will spend the next decade in jail.
In a strange chain of events, a drunk Cecil Conner went from having a designated driver to being behind the wheel of a car carrying a 5-year-old. Even if it was an inconvenience, Conner should not have driven. He could have called a friend or even requested a Free Ride Home.
Related Resources:
- Find a Chicago DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Steger man gets 9-1/2 years for DUI crash that killed 5-year-old boy (FindLaw)
- Illinois DUI Laws (FindLaw)
- Ask A Question about DUI now (FindLaw Answers)
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