TRUMBULL COUNTY Man loses bid in fatalities

The Canfield man's lawyer argued the trial judge was unfairly influenced.
WARREN -- The 7th District Court of Appeals has denied an appeal by Earl Hough, 55, of Canfield, rejecting a defense argument that too many representatives of the victims were allowed to speak out against him.
Hough was sentenced to seven years in prison as a result of the May 6, 2000, accident in which he struck and killed Tina Keeley and her 10-year-old daughter, Christa, of Lordstown, as they rode their bicycles.
An hour after he hit them, he had his daughter call police and report a possible accident.
Hough eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide recklessly caused while driving under license suspension and one count of failure to stop after an accident.
Addressed the judge
Before sentencing, seven people, including relatives of the victims and the superintendent of Lordstown schools, addressed the trial judge about the impact of the crime.
In the appeal, Hough's lawyer argued that having so many people speak for the victims could have unfairly influenced common pleas Judge W. Wyatt McKay's sentencing decision.
The argument did not sway the appeals court, which found that the sentence was in accord with the recommendation made in the plea-bargain agreement.