Ashburn, Virginia DUI Attorney

Former Attorney Gets 9 Year Sentence for Killing Two While Driving Drunk

            Recently, a former Ashburn, Virginia attorney who pleaded guilty to killing a husband and wife in a 2013 drunk driving crash was sentenced to nine (9) years in prison (20 years for each aggravated involuntary manslaughter with all but 4 years suspended on each, in addition to 1 year for the DUI charge).  The Defendant, Mark Anthony Sgarlata, was found to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15, almost twice the legal limit in Virginia of 0.08.  Sgarlata’s car hit the two victims, who were riding a motorcycle on Ashburn Farm Parkway, as he was turning left into the Junction Plaza shopping center.  Back in August, Mr. Sgarlata pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and a charge of driving drunk.  Sgarlata had previously been arrested in 2011 for suspicion of DUI, which led to a guilty finding of reckless driving.  As a result, he avoided jail time and was required to listen to victims of drunk drivers tell their story and write about the impacts from those cases.  For each charge in the 2013 case accident, the Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge implemented the maximum sentence, but suspended most of the prison term under conditions that the Defendant avoids any other future charges and participates in community awareness for drunk driving once released from prison.

If you have been arrested for a DUI/DWI it is important that you consult an experienced Virginia DUI attorney immediately because DUI is a criminal offense and carries potentially severe penalties.  An experienced attorney can guide you through the court process and find any possible defenses that can either mitigate the penalties in the case, or in some instances, lead to an acquittal or dismissal.  Portner & Shure has a satellite office in Ashburn, Virginia to serve our DUI/DWI clients.

If you or a family member has been charged with DUI or DWI in Ashburn, Virginia and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on DUI or DWI please feel free to contact our office at (703) 916-1227 or visit us on the web at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Criminal-Defense/DWI-DUI/