Saturday, October 29, 2011
YOUNGSTOWN
A Campbell woman convicted by a jury of vehicular homicide in a motorcyclist’s death received a 30-day jail sentence and was placed on five years’ probation.
Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the sentence Friday on Tasha L. Moore, 29, of Jackson Street, in the March 2, 2010, death of Charles Mulligan, 48, of South Avenue, Boardman. Moore’s jail term began immediately after sentencing.
The judge ruled Moore also must perform 500 hours of community service annually during her probation.
“I don’t know if it was my fault, but all I can do is say ‘sorry,’” a tearful Moore told the victim’s family.
Judge Sweeney could have sentenced Moore to six to 18 months in prison but instead imposed the maximum probation term the law allows.
Moore, who drove without a license, ran her vehicle over Mulligan and dragged him more than 100 feet while talking on her cellphone, said Robert J. Andrews, an assistant county prosecutor, who called for an 18-month prison term.
Mulligan’s brother, Patrick Mulligan, said Moore’s conduct was “a heinous crime” that deserves a maximum sentence.
“There was nothing heinous about her negligent failure to exercise due care that evening,” said Moore’s lawyer, Walter Madison of Akron, who called for probation.
Mulligan was southbound in the passing lane in the 3500 block of South Avenue, when a car pulled into his path from a parking lot, Andrews said.
When those two vehicles collided, Mulligan was thrown to the pavement into the middle of South Avenue, and the motorcycle hit a northbound car, he said.
Moore was driving a car southbound in a line of traffic that had stopped because of the accident, but she went left of center around stopped vehicles and ran over Mulligan, Andrews said.
“If you violate any term or condition of community control, you could go to prison for 18 months,” Judge Sweeney warned Moore after sentencing her.