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Torrey Pines High student pleads guilty to vehicular manslaughter
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A guilty plea was entered Tuesday in the Branden Butler case.
A 17-year-old boy pled guilty Tuesday to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for causing a crash in Rancho Santa Fe that killed a teenage passenger and seriously injured another schoolmate.
At a hearing next month, Branden Butler, who has spent time in custody at juvenile hall, will be placed on probation and could face additional confinement, including possible house arrest or time at a juvenile camp, according to his defense attorney.
Butler was behind the wheel last month carrying four of his Torrey Pines High School classmates when he crashed the vehicle on a winding road about 1:45 a.m. after leaving a party, killing 17-year-old Alex Capozza and seriously injuring Jamie Arnold.
Two other 17-year-old passengers in the car escaped serious injury.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a mix of alcohol and speed contributed to the accident.
The District Attorney's Office reported the driver's blood-alcohol content was measured at .10 percent about an hour after the crash.
Punishment should be severe for Butler so that a lesson is learned.
That being said, the students who got in that car and the parents also bear some responsibility.
I guess curfews for teenagers are a thing of the past. Maybe one in this instance would have changed the outcome.
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