AUGUSTA, Maine — A U.S. Marine from Maine has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and drunken driving charges in connection with a car crash in June that resulted in the death of his sister and another passenger.
The Kennebec Journal reports that Travis Lawler was released on $1,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty Tuesday to two counts of manslaughter and aggravated operating under the influence.
Prosecutors say the 23-year-old Lawler was home on leave from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina when the car he was driving went off the road and crashed into a tree in Belgrade on June 16.
His sister, 20-year-old Kristin Lawler of Oakland, died at the scene. Another passenger, 25-year-old Jackson Bolduc of Belgrade, died the next day. A third passenger survived.
His lawyer had no comment.
Really? Time to man-up, Travis. You killed your own sister then fled like a little bit*h.
Pleading not guilty is a simple legal maneuver. It does not mean that he is saying he didn’t do it. It means that under law, he needs to explore every option to assess his legal responsibility.
No matter what the justice system does or doesn’t to him, he will have live with the fact that his sister died while he was driving. That is a pretty hefty price tag all by itself.
If it’s a simple legal maneuver as you say, can you please define the term “NOT GUILTY”. I could be mistaken but it seems to mean to me, “I didn’t do it”. He’s had plenty of time to explore his “Legal Options” as you say.
not guilty n. 1) plea of a person who claims not to have committed the crime of which he/she is accused
they wont let you plea guilty in a serious crime. he will have to go through the justice system. they will explore what frame of mind he was in at the time of the accident. the look over the accident scene. the prosecutors and the defense lawyers will try to work on some sort of a agreement that is appropriate other wise there will be a trial
Well sweet, thanks. Now, what relation are you to this loser?
he knows what he did. he is owning up to it .
The Marines should be ashamed of you.
“God has a hard on for Marines, because we kill everything we see. He plays His games, we play ours. To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls.” – Gunnery Sgt. Hartman
there are marines that have done worse.
Travis you’re not a Marine….you’re a coward
this person is not a coward . he is a human being
Semper sighs.
Bush lowered the enlistment standards and the chickens are coming home to roost.
he really isnt a bad guy. he made a bad choice driving while he had been drinking. he thinks about what happened every day
Many of us have made this same mistake. I know I did when I was younger, I just never had an accident that involved the loss of life. Yes, I did have an accident, although it was technically not my fault. But I do wonder if I might have done better if I hadn’t had a couple of drinks.
Travis, I am sorry for the loss of your sister and friend. I thank you for your service to this country. Most of all, I hope you have learned something from this sorry situation. It is tough to learn the lesson this way.