Prosecutor Behind Trucker’s 110 Year Sentence Slammed For Posting Brake Shoe ‘Trophy’
While some are outraged by the 110-year maximum penalty sentencing of the Cuban-immigrant trucker, Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, there are others who are celebrating, literally making physical memorabilia from the case.
One, in particular, is Deputy District Attorney Kayla Wildeman — the Colorado prosecutor partially responsible for securing the conviction against Rogel.
According to reports, Wildeman posted a “trophy” from the trial — a brake shoe from a semi-trailer — and is now getting ripped for it.
“Get yourself a trial partner as great as Trevor Moritzky,” she reportedly wrote referring to the senior deputy DA who worked on the trial with her in a caption alongside the now-deleted image that appeared on her personal Facebook page, which also had the case number and her name printed on a placard attached to the brake.
“He turned a brake shoe from a semi-truck into a memento. What a special gift from truly a special person. I never asked for a new bff at work, let alone one that is old enough to be my father (no offense) but I sure am grateful this trial brought you into my career as both a colleague and a friend!” the post continued.
The 26-year-old truck driver was found guilty Thursday (Dec 16.) on 27 counts for vehicular manslaughter after the brakes on his semi-truck failed, causing him to crash into stopped traffic, killing four people on Interstate 70 in Denver, Colorado back in 2019.
While tragic, many believe, including the judge and the victims’ families, it was an accident and did not warrant the maximum penalty.
“Words will never convey how lucky I am to have gotten the opportunity to learn from you!” Wildeman added, according to the news outlet.
The backlash from the post has come from all sides. Judicial District Attorney Alexis King said in a statement that Wildeman’s post was in “very poor taste” – adding that the brake was not from Aguilera-Mederos’ case and “does not reflect the values of my administration”. She went on to add that the issue has been “addressed internally,” according to records.
Additionally, Aguilera-Mederos’ attorney James Colgan said the vehicular trophy was “unprofessional.”
“Lives are ruined all around and they celebrate,” he said Monday to the Denver Post. Another defense attorney, Leonard Martinez, even called for disciplinary action.
“To make any kind of mockery or behave as if this was a ball game of winning and losing is an outrage. This was about four people losing their lives and another person facing the prospect of a 110-year prison sentence,” Martinez told The Denver Channel.
“It is very disappointing but not surprising that the district attorney in this case would allow this to happen given the background of this matter, the legal process itself and the way my client was treated,” he added.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, which has been vocal about the case, got involved as well, and called for “immediate disciplinary action and a formal apology.”
“To say we are disgusted over this so-called trophy is an understatement. LULAC demands a full investigation into the matter to identify the people who are involved so that they face the maximum disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal,” LULAC national President Domingo Garcia told The Denver Channel.
There is currently a motion for the court to set a hearing to reconsider the 110-year sentence.
