Trucker could have sentence of 110 years cut

GOLDEN, Colo. — A judge on Monday was set to consider a request from prosecutors to reduce the 110-year prison sentence of a truck driver for an explosive crash that killed four people in suburban Denver.

The sentence given to Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, 26, has drawn outrage from around the country and among truckers, with around 5 million people signing an online petition seeking clemency for him.

In addition to the prosecution’s request to lower the sentence, Aguilera-Mederos has requested clemency from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

Last week, District Attorney Alexis King said in a statement she would seek a term of 20 to 30 years in the 2019 wreck on Interstate 70 west of Denver — a sentencing range that reflects an “appropriate outcome” for Aguilera-Mederos’ conduct.

“As the jury found, Mr. Aguilera-Mederos knowingly made multiple active choices that resulted in the death of four people, serious injuries to others, and mass destruction,” King said.

District Court Judge Bruce Jones imposed the 110-year sentence against Aguilera-Mederos on Dec. 13 after finding it was the mandatory minimum term set forth under state law.

One of Aguilera-Mederos’ attorneys, Leonard Martinez, said the district attorney’s new requested sentencing range is not consistent with similar cases in Colorado and the United States.

“We plan to move forward and to keep all options open in achieving Justice for Rogel, including the possibility of clemency from Governor Polis,” Martinez said.

Colorado law allows for sentences for crimes deemed violent to be modified in cases with “unusual and extenuating circumstances.”