A Florida mom who has been accused of hosting several house parties where teens allegedly drank alcohol, smoked marijuana, and inhaled nitrous oxide appeared in court last week. 51-year-old, Diane Santarelli, “was indicted on two counts of manslaughter and four misdemeanors after two intoxicated teens left a party she was supervising and died in a car accident” last January. The manslaughter charges are second degree felonies, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
On January 12, 2009, 18-year-old Jessy Pitts and his 17-year-old passenger Taylor Brennan were killed when Pitts crashed his car into a guardrail while on the way home from a party hosted by Santarelli.According to court documents Santarelli provided minors with alcohol, marijuana, and nitrous oxide ‘whippets’ over the course of several parties held in her home between September 2008 to January 2009.
Santarelli’s attorney argues that while his client illegally provided drugs and alcohol to minors, she is ultimately not responsible for the deaths of Pitts and Brennan, as both teens willingly got behind the wheel of a car despite being intoxicated. However, the prosecution attests that by directly contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Santarelli is to blame for the fatal crash.
The presiding judge made no motion to dismiss the felony charges last week, despite pleas from Santarelli’s attorney. The case will reconvene in court on December 1st.
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