Honeycutt Charged with DUI Manslaughter

A woman from the Temecula area was charged with second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two other felony driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) charges in late January following a horrific accident that included the death of her daughter.  Karen Faye Honeycutt was reportedly on her way to pick up one of her children from school when her car hit a concrete light fixture and a tree on the road's center divider.  Two of the children in her vehicle were not wearing seatbelts and were thrown from the vehicle.  Her 8-year-old daughter died as a result of her injuries while her 17-year-old step-son was taken to a local hospital where he received care for serious injuries.  A third child in the vehicle was wearing his seatbelt and sustained minor injuries as a result of the accident.  Honeycutt, who was also injured in the crash, had four prior DUI convictions: three misdemeanor convictions from 1994 and one felony conviction stemming from an incident in 1997.  Honeycutt may also have been driving without a valid driver's license at the time of the crash.    No word has been given as to what Honeycutt's blood alcohol content may have been at the time of the accident.  At a hearing on February 14th, Honeycutt pleaded not guilty to all counts. 

As any Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can tell you, dealing with a DUI charge is serious business, and certain factors can actually make it worse.  A  Los Angeles DUI defense attorney knows that factors such as drinking and driving with children under the age of 14, speeding, having prior convictions and causing serious injury or death can make the punishments doled out for a conviction much harsher.  Felony vehicular manslaughter alone can send you to a California State Prison for 10 years if you are convicted.  An experienced  Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can tell you that most DUI-related vehicular manslaughter cases garner a four-year prison sentence.  However, if a driver is proved to have been driving with "extreme recklessness" or "gross negligence," then that same person can be sent to prison for up to 10 years.  Prior DUI convictions can also lengthen a defendant's sentences.  For many people with prior convictions, being convicted of DUI a fourth time will often find them sentenced to prison for up to three years, in addition to having their driver's license revoked for four years. 

If you have been charged with DUI-related offenses, call the Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today.  Our Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys have decades of experience in dealing with DUI cases of all types.  Call 1-877-781-1570 today to speak with a skilled  Los Angeles DUI defense attorney about your case.