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Monday, March 05, 2018

MAN SENTENCED ABOVE THE GUIDELINES FOR OCEAN CITY DUI

SNOW HILL – On March 2nd, 2018, Stanley Faison, 51, of Waldorf, MD., was sentenced for Homicide While Driving Under The Influence by Administrative Circuit Court Judge, The Honorable Brian D. Shockley. Mr Faison was found guilty after a jury trial in January of this year for the death of 23 year old J.R. Ednie during Cruisin’ Week in Ocean City of last year.

Bill McDermott, Interim State’s Attorney for Worcester County sought enhanced penalties for Mr. Faison as he was a subsequent offender, having been previously been found guilty in North Carolina of DUI in 2011 and then again most recently, just 27 days before this incident in Minnesota.

The maximum penalty for Homicide while Driving Under the Influence is five years in prison, however, due to the State’s notice of intent to seek enhanced penalties which was filed in October of 2017, Mr. Faison faced a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration.

The sentencing guidelines as calculated by the Maryland Sentencing Commission indicated a guidelines range of six months to three years based on the gravity of the offense and his prior history. However, McDermott called the sentencing guidelines “abhorrent” for a third time offender who kills someone. He asked Judge Shockley to sentence Mr. Faison above the guidelines, a relatively rare occurrence.

McDermott noted the purposes of sentencing and stated, “nothing we do can ever bring J.R. back, but sentencing Mr. Faison above the guidelines, who appallingly was found guilty of his second DUI only twenty-seven days prior, might deter future drunk drivers from killing people in Worcester County.”

After listening to family members and testimony, Judge Shockley sentenced Mr. Faison to double what was the top of the guidelines – ten years suspend all but six years in the Department of Corrections. He will be subject to three years of supervised probation following his release.

“There’s a reason why four of the last five years Worcester County has had the highest conviction rate of any county in the State for Driving Under the Influence. Between our law enforcement officers who put together solid cases, to our prosecutors who take every case seriously, if you drive drunk and kill someone – be prepared for prison”, McDermott commented after sentencing.

After sentencing, the Ednie family thanked Judge Shockley, McDermott, Detective Karsnitz and all the men and women who worked so hard to bring justice for J.R.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do I read this correctly, only got 6 years for killing some one while driving drunk..... IS it mandatory or does he get time off for good behavior ??

Anonymous said...

Yet getting rid of a habitual drunk is very good thing need to keep in mind that:

- OC resides in Worcester County;
- OC IS the 2nd largest city during the summer months (revenue generator for the state year in, year out);
- practically has an alcohol establishment on every block for 60 streets (give or take);
- during special weekends (outside of summertime, i.e., bike weekend in Sept and Cruisers in May and Oct) there is hardly LEOs to be found to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.

Again, no issue with the law hammering down on drunks - but at the same time OC promotes drinking year round.

Cake and eat it too, eh Rick?

Anonymous said...

Will be appealed and will be reduced. This post is nothing but campaigning for election.

Anonymous said...

Take their money at the bar and at the bench. We never go there anymore. Drunk tourists, drug dealers, rowdy teenagers and cops just looking for any infraction they can find to write tickets. No thanks.

Anonymous said...

Where is the call for a ban on alcohol? Or cars? Whole nation freaking out over the opioid problem and alcohol has been killing tens of thousands every year for decades. But marijuana is the devil! This country is one big pile of hypocrisy. Blame guns for crazy people, marijuana for being a "gateway drug", and white people for all of it. Smdh.