Dues Formally Sentenced In Tuolumne County Superior Court

Sonora, CA -- Emotions ran high Tuesday afternoon following the formal sentencing of 55 year old Joanne Dues to four years in prison on a gross vehicular felony manslaughter charge for the September 29th hit-and-run death of 43 year old Jackson Lawe.

District Attorney Donald Segerstrom stated that many factors were taken into consideration regarding the sentence: the defendant's conduct at the time of the accident, the defendant's remorse if any, the defendant's prior record if any and whether or not the defendant pleaded guilty at an early stage in the proceedings.

Jack Law, Sr. was in attendance. As a recovering alcoholic, he spoke directly to Dues in the packed courtroom telling her she must win the battle over alcohol if she wants to have a meaningful life. During his talk he stated that he lost another son, 22 year old Joseph, to a drunk driver in North Dakota in 1996.

Law's mother, Terry Schroeder of Soulsbyville, said she has a difficult time talking about Joanne Dues. She admitted that, "Dues had a choice about driving after drinking and the choice that she made killed my son."

Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com

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