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Byline: Katie Burford Journal Staff Writer
Teen Won't Serve Time in Fatal DWI Crash
Children's Court Judge Marie Baca said she doesn't usually evoke religious teachings in court, but Tuesday was an exception.
She was faced with deciding the fate of 18-year-old Jessica Garner, who, nearly a year ago, ran a stop sign and crashed into a car driven by 74-year-old Mary Marez, killing her. Garner told police she had been drinking that night.
Baca observed that both Marez's family and Garner mentioned their faith when giving statements in court.
The judge said she considered the teachings of Christ and the idea of forgiveness as opposed to "an eye for an eye" in arriving at her decision.
In the end, she gave Garner two years of probation and 250 hours of community service. The maximum sentence Garner could have received was two years in the New Mexico Girls School.