Ex-Milford cop to serve year for crash that killed 2 Orange teens
"From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you can forgive me because forgiveness is a big part of healing," Anderson told them in
"I will never forgive him," said
Anderson, 41, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison, suspended after one year served, for the deaths nearly seven years ago of Krakowski and
Under the terms of the plea bargain, Anderson also must serve three years of probation. If he violates it, he faces another four years behind bars.
Anderson pleaded no contest to three counts: misconduct with a motor vehicle, a felony; criminal negligence; and reckless driving.
Anderson was at the wheel of a speeding cruiser that hit a car on
Before
"Not a day goes by that we don't ache, we don't miss our son. It doesn't end in one year, five years," Servin's mother,
"A year in jail? That doesn't sound like enough," he said.
Krakowski said he had a dream that his daughter came to him, and shrunk in age and size as he watched.
"'Daddy, I don't want to go,'" Ashlie told him.
Prior to the sentencing,
'I've let them down'
When asked by Iannotti whether he wanted to address the court, Anderson turned from the defense table and walked over to face the Krakowski and Servin families sitting in the public gallery opposite him.
He spoke several minutes of the consequences of his actions.
"I have a child," he said. If he were to lose his child, he "couldn't bear it."
"I've prayed for you. I've thought about you," he told them.
His own family members, and others, filled the public gallery on the defense side of the courtroom.
"I feel like I've kind of let my family down. ... But we're strong, we'll get through it," Anderson said.
Anderson in 2012 was convicted by a
Anderson was driving 94 mph at
Anderson was not responding to an emergency, and he did not have lights or sirens activated. The crash was caught on a police dashboard camera of another cruise.
Servin was intoxicated. He failed to come to a full stop at a flashing red light and turned into the path of the cruiser.
Servin's car flipped at least twice, the prosecutor, Ansonia-Milford JD State's Attorney
"Neither family is happy with this resolution," Lawlor told the judge.
But they understand "why I'm doing what I'm doing," Lawlor said.
After assessing the information, he came to a compromise with the defense that avoids a retrial, Lawlor said.
Outside court, Lawlor said, "Based on the facts that we were dealt with, and the Appellate Court ruling and the issues before our Supreme Court, ... this was the best resolution."
Defense attorney
Accepting responsibility
After the sentencing,
"It would have helped if he did it a long time ago. Today, he accepted responsibility and we're grateful," she said.
"I'm glad he's going to jail, but it's not long enough,"
Keefe explained that Anderson's remarks were "very emotional."
"Now that the trial is over, and the case is over, he can say what he felt," Keefe said outside of court.
"And what he felt is he can't sleep at night. He thinks of these people every single night of his life, and all of us can believe that and it's affected him in more ways than you can count," said Keefe, of Lynch, Traub, Keefe & Errante,
"He gave a very heartfelt talk, it was touching," Keefe said.
Anderson has a son, 9, who might be able to handle his father being in prison a year, "but I don't think he can handle five years," Keefe said.
As for not talking about the case earlier, Keefe said, "Criminal defendants are in a tough position when it comes to expressing remorse," Keefe said.
"Their lawyers are always telling them to keep their mouths shut and don't admit anything and don't express remorse, because it can be misinterpreted."
Legal background
After his
It ordered that Anderson face charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle in the death of Servin, and misconduct with a motor vehicle in Krakowksi's death.
Keefe has said the Appellate Court found
Anderson then asked the Supreme Court to review the Appellate Court decision and to dismiss the case outright.
The
In 2012, the city of
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