Lincoln Smith, a California truck driver charged with manslaughter in the deaths of seven Oregon farmworkers whose van was parked along Interstate 5 close to Albany on May 18, 2023, had jury selection begin Monday.
Since the collision, Smith, now 54, has been detained at the Marion County jail on seven counts of second-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence.
Last February, a court decided that jurors could view evidence showing that Smith’s blood contained meth, cocaine, fentanyl, and morphine. Smith acknowledged carrying a vial of speed, according to the prosecution.
Although Smith’s defense is still up in the air, his lawyers’ court documents assert that the trucker was confused by the startling collision rather than a concoction of chemicals.
According to defense lawyer Tiffany Humphrey, this was one of Marion County’s worst auto accidents ever. Another trooper ordered Smith to turn away because the scene was so terrible.
The trucker was unable to recall his own phone number or location that day, according to prosecutor David Wilson, who also claims that body-camera footage shows Smith with dilated pupils.
Six days are allotted for the trial.
On April 15, 2024, protesters stopped traffic on Interstate 5 close to Eugene.Sent in
Two Eugene protesters found not guilty in pro-Palestine blockade of I-5
Two demonstrators who were charged with unlawfully obstructing Interstate 5 on April 15 at a pro-Palestinian demonstration have won their trials.
In a joint trial before Lane County Circuit Judge Karrie McIntyre last week, six jurors found Salem Younes, 19, and Kristin Anton, 27, not guilty of second-degree disorderly conduct.
Less than an hour was spent in deliberation.
Younes, a Palestinian American, stated in a statement, “We demonstrated to the state and the imperial core that we are more powerful than their attempts to suppress us.”
Before police arrived and arrested about fifty people, the early-morning blockades slowed traffic for about thirty miles.
Since last October, a dozen more demonstrators have had their cases tried; all have been found guilty and given one-year probationary sentences. According to documents, 35 more persons were placed under diversion and had their charges dropped after completing 40 hours of community service.
On July 10, 2023, a jury in Portland convicted Eric C. Strietzel of stealing a Retriever Towing truck.MCDA
Tow truck hijacker Eric Strietzel found guilty on most counts
Eric C. Strietzel was found guilty by a Multnomah County jury of the hair-raising July 10, 2023, hijacking of a Retriever Towing vehicle.
Dash cam footage While 42-year-old towing worker Travis Christ clung to the vehicle for dear life, 38-year-old Strietzel was speeding the tow truck up to 85 mph on Portland’s Interstate 5.
Due to Strietzel’s intoxication and mental disability, the defense lawyer’s strategy of urging a jury to acquit him on the most serious charges—first-degree robbery and second-degree kidnapping—was partially successful.
However, considering his past record, the jury found him guilty on a dozen other counts, including second-degree assault, imposing a minimum sentence of four to five years.
According to documents, Strietzel was given a sentence of slightly under six years in prison after entering a guilty plea to the 2002 Sherwood sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.
[WATCH: Worker clings for his life as suspected tow truck hijacker drives off]
In other news
Last week, Alissa Azar, an independent journalist who supports antifascism, had her second-degree trespassing prosecution dropped by a Multnomah County judge after her lawyer, Lisa Ludwig, claimed the state had not provided all of its evidence until the very last minute.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Bijal Patel claims that in order to bring a witness to court, she required a delay.
Despite siding with the defense, Circuit Judge Christopher Marshall did not stop the state from later pursuing more charges.
Azar stated, “I’m glad it’s behind me, but it was something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
The case started when pro-Palestinian demonstrators briefly took over Portland State University’s Millar Library in the spring of last year.
For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Zane Sparling reports on court proceedings and breaking news. You may contact him at [email protected], 503-319-7083, or pdxzane.
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