Tuesday, March 1, 2005
D.A. BROWN: QUEENS WOMAN SENTENCED TO UP TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR RECKLESS MANSLAUGHTER IN DEATH OF OFF-DUTY NEW YORK CITY TRAFFIC AGENT
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a Far Rockaway, Queens woman has been sentenced to up to seven years in prison for reckless manslaughter in the death of an off-duty New York City Police Department traffic agent who was struck and killed in Jamaica while standing in front of his vehicle.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant admitted her guilt and now will be punished for her criminal recklessness which caused the tragic death of a young man who had his entire life before him. This is another unfortunate reminder of the deadly effects of drinking and driving.”
District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Patricia Pauling, 55, of 2206 Cornaga Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens. The defendant pled guilty on January 20, 2005 to Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under The Influence of Alcohol before Queens Supreme Court Justice Joseph A. Grosso who imposed today’s indeterminate sentence of two and one-third years to seven years in prison.
The District Attorney said that the defendant admitted that on December 27, 2003, while under the influence of alcohol, she recklessly caused the death of German Acosta-Disla, 33, who was a New York City Police Department traffic agent. The victim was standing in front of the Aduwa Pharmacy at 114-32 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, when he was fatally struck by the defendant. The defendant struck two vehicles before striking and killing the victim.
According to the District Attorney, the defendant was apprehended at the scene and charged with driving while intoxicated because her blood alcohol level was .223, almost triple the legal limit of .08 and was subsequently charged with manslaughter when the victim died three days after the incident.
Assistant District Attorney Shawn Clark of the District Attorney’s Homicide Trials Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jack Warsawsky, Deputy Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.