Shaver Lake woman gets one year in jail for fatal DUI crash

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Shaver Lake woman accused of driving drunk when she struck and killed a man on Highway 168, last year, was given an unusual punishment.

21-year-old Morgan Brown was sentenced to a year in jail, five years of probation and a year-long drug and alcohol treatment program for the death of 30-year-old Jaysen Wright of Tollhouse.

On Wednesday, Brown stood in silence as Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Gaab reviewed the facts of the case, but once her friends were given the opportunity to speak, began to cry along with the victim's family.

"We really wish for her to be bettered by this not harmed by this, but we'd definitely like to see some appropriate sentencing that would send the right message," said Jaysen's stepmother Joni Wright.

"The loss of a father, brother, son, uncle, nephew, and in my case cousin, has everlasting impacts on the family and loved ones. It's an impact felt every day," said Amber Wright.

Back in May, Brown pleaded "no contest" to felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the death of Wright.

At the time of the crash, prosecutors said Brown was just 20 years old and when tested hours later had a blood-alcohol count of twice the legal limit.

"This was a very unfortunate case, two families were affected and now you see the consequence and especially the consequence of drinking and driving," said Attorney Dennis Verzosa.

When handing down the sentence, Judge Gaab said she was confronted with an unusual set of facts in the case.

"Mr. Wright was walking down the middle of SR 168, wearing dark clothing, intoxicated with a BAC (blood alcohol count) of .22 and with THC or marijuana in his system," said Gaab. "According to witnesses he had been at a bar earlier in the evening drinking. Miss Brown had also been at a party at Shaver Lake drinking."

After reading the autopsy report, Gaab said it appeared Brown tried to swerve and Miss Wright, but struck him with the left side of her SUV.

"Miss Brown crashed her vehicle a short time later down a 70 foot wooded embankment," added Gaab.

Fibers found on the vehicle later linked her to the deadly crash.

Since her arrest, Brown's attorney James Wasson said she's quit drinking alcohol, has attended more than three Alcohol Anonymous meetings a week and has enrolled and graduated from San Joaquin Valley College to become a dental assistant.

"I mean look at what she's done," he said. "She's been to 300 something A.A. meetings, been on a SCRAM device for a year. I have no problem believing this young lady will never be in the criminal justice system again.

While Gaab noted Brown has no prior criminal record, she insisted her punishment deter future drinking and driving.

She warned Brown, as she left the courtroom in handcuffs, if she hits and kills someone again while under the influence, the next time she'll be charged with murder.

"She made an extremely horrible decision, but she was out partying and she got behind the wheel and someone died," she said.

Wright's family also said they hope Brown's sentence serves as a message to young people in the community of what not to do.

But in a letter to the court, Wright's widow wrote, "I don't want to see Morgan's life wasted in prison, she's so young and made a horrible decision, that affected more lives than she will know. It shouldn't be the last decision she ever gets to make though."

Wasson said Brown was not eligible to go to state prison under AB 109, or California's prison realignment program.

Instead she faced a maximum sentence of four years in county jail.

While he pushed for Brown to spend time in a year-long in-patient drug and alcohol rehabilitation program rather than behind bars, he called her sentence "adequate" and said, "Obviously under the law it could be longer, but I think the point we can't miss is the fact she's very much rehabilitated."