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The defendant in the criminal case plead guilty yesterday as set out in this brief news clip:http://www.19actionnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=13146612. He was sentenced to four years. We indicated that we would not object to him serving only 30 months in prison if he then performs a supervised community service obligation for another 18 months. We said it was our strong desire that the service he is ordered to perform relate to the bike/vehicle street safety issues we now so very much care about. We are of course relieved that the defendant took responsibility for his actions and hope that his sentence sends a loud message to drivers that conduct due to drugs or recklessness that causes the death of someone on a bicycle will have severe consequences.
We are surrounded by Sylvia's friends here in Cleveland. Today, September 15, on the one-year anniversary of her death, we will participate in a memorial bike bike traveling the route Sylvia was taking exactly a year ago on her way to work at Hard-Hatted Women. Friday we will participate in a city-wide festival to promote sustainable transportation in Cleveland (the second item at this link: http://www.gcbl.org/planning-development-projects/city-sustainability-program).
Thanks to all of you who sent notes to us. Steve and Francoise.
The last entry about the trial ending with a plea should have been updated long ago. This is from news page of the Sylvia Bingham Fund website: "TRIAL UPDATE: Truck driver withdraws guilty plea Posted 10/12/2010 - The truck driver who killed Sylvia last year and pleaded guilty last month to aggravated vehicular homicide while under the influence of drugs was allowed on October 8 to withdraw his plea of guilty. He claimed he was pressured into agreeing to plead guilty and submitted a letter to the court critical of his own lawyer. As he had not yet been formally sentenced (that was to happen October 25), the Ohio standards for withdrawing a guilty plea are very lax. For Francoise and me, this is of course a very bitter pill and a great disappointment, not just because we now once again have to face the prospect of sitting through a criminal trial but also because we had had some measure of comfort, believing that Herschel Roberts was truly remorseful. We expect that a new trial date might be set for December and hope that the defendant’s new lawyer will not seek any further continuance. Fifteen months after Sylvia was killed is far to long to wait for an outcome. We have also filed a civil lawsuit against Mr. Roberts and Leff Electric Company. That trial is scheduled for next spring." The current trial date is now set for Feb. 28 and Francoise and I plan to be there. Once again, please post your memories of Sylvia on this blog. We want her spirit to never be forgotten.
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