Ann Arbor woman involved in drunken driving hit-and-run has sentencing postponed
Kimberly Morse
This story has been updated with information from the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office.
Kimberly Vernell Morse, 44, has had her sentencing postponed until Oct. 31, according to court records.
The Ann Arbor woman had been scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday on two charges related to a drunken-driving accident that left a man seriously injured.
Her attorney, Richard Corventino, was unavailable for comment Tuesday about why the sentencing was rescheduled, but his office did confirm that it was.
Steve Hiller from the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office said the defense requested and received an adjournment to have more time to prepare for the sentencing.
When a plea deal was entered in September, Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie Brown agreed to a sentence of 14-38 months in prison. At that time, Morse pleaded guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury and no contest to failing to stop at the scene of a serious personal injury and accident. A third charge of operating while intoxicated was to be dismissed.
Both a criminal and civil case stem from an incident on March 13. Morse has admitted that her blood-alcohol content level was .24 percent when she struck an Ann Arbor man on Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor Township. Morse fled the scene. She said she didn’t recall leaving the accident scene due to her intoxication. A state trooper later arrested her when she was in a second accident at U.S. 23 and North Territorial Road.
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
jaylay
Sat, Mar 23, 2013 : 3:42 a.m.
How I heard about this unfortunate story was through a friend of mine that grew up with Ms. Morse. My friend, told me what a good friend and nice person Kim was growing up. From what i gathered Ms. Morse was a decent person with an alcohol problem just like myself. I myself have had 6 DWI's all within an 8 year span, the last one occuring in 2003. I didn't do any jail time until my 4th conviction, 90 days in jail and 2 years probation. In my opinion that was a slap on the wrist. When i got my 5th i left the country to start a new life but that didn't last long and i was back in the USA six months later to be with my dieing father. Shortly after my fathers death i got my 6th and final DWI. I spent about 14 months in a county jail with 5 years probation. That was enough time for me to finally realize how incredible insane i was. I was lucky i never hurt anyone and finally learned my lesson. Looking back i can now say i wish the judge would have put me in jail after my 1st DWI conviction for a minimum of 6 months. I believe the stiff sentence would have saved me from every drinking and driving again. Alcohol has taken the life of not just my father but also both grand father's, grand mother and two of my uncles. The point i am trying to make is we live in a culture that promotes alcohol. T.V. commercial's glamorize alcohol and our government allows this because they receive billions of dollars from the alcohol producers. With a bar in almost every town in America our culture is promoting drinking with the Federal Government's blessing. I know that we all have a choice to drink or not drink but the promotion of alcohol in anyway is just ass bad as if our government promoted cocaine and heroin use. Alcohol is a drug and is just as dangerous as others that are illegal. I do want to point out that i agree with the sentence Ms. Morse received. Now the question to ask is if the promotion of alcohol were banned would there be a reduction in alcohol related accidents?
Tru2Blu76
Wed, Oct 24, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.
It's not just about a 14-month jail sentence. A typical imprisonment of this kind has long-lasting consequences once the convicted person returns to "normal life." In fact, the term "normal life" isn't even appropriate to describe "what follows" a prison sentence. Alcohol intake affects judgment and decision-making in very negative ways. And that applies to non-alcoholics as much as it does to alcoholics. THINK before you DRINK.
Cathy
Thu, Oct 25, 2012 : 12:02 a.m.
Life after prison may be unpleasant, but it opens the door for more drunk driving. I really don't want to see myself or my loved ones maimed or killed by this person once she's out on the street again.
mady
Wed, Oct 24, 2012 : 2:01 p.m.
Kimberly, why are you seeking to postpone the inevitable? does the thought of going to jail frighten you that much? more importantly, why didn't you consider this before you got sloshed and then got behind the wheel? Don't expect any sympathy from me, you will get none. you are lucky that your irresponsible behavior didn't injure any of my loved one, i.e. my children/grandkids.
jaylay
Sat, Mar 23, 2013 : 2:12 p.m.
Mady i have a few question for you. Id like to know if you are a member of M.A.D.D? Id also like to know if you are against the marketing of alcohol on television? Ms. Morse has a disease called alcoholism and hopefully her time in prison will be a wake up call. Ms. Morse was irresponsible and she should consider herself lucky she didn't kill anyone but hundreds of alcohol related car accidents and deaths happen every day and i am not surprised. The Federal Government profits huge sum's of money from these alcohol producer's that are allowed to market their dangerous product. Alcohol is a drug but are culture does not she it as one. People are being brained washed from "the most interesting man in the world" his "stay thirsty my friends" coin phrase. My last question for you is this, Do you think the number of alcohol related car accidents would be reduced if the marketing of alcohol on T.V. were banned?
John Seychel
Wed, Oct 24, 2012 : 12:48 a.m.
What is to be thought of a nation who celebrates the use of a drug that just maybe the very worst drug available to man. Alcohol effects every cell in the human body, and it cause inebriation alcoholism: habitual intoxication; prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks leading to a breakdown in health and an addiction..., yeppy let's go. Another point is that as this drug is so harful to not just the user, but to anyone around them. Once someone starts to drink there is no promises of what will happen next, and yet Cannabis is illegal? A drug that not only has been found to do so many wonderful things, and has never been accounted to cause health risks. Why is this? Well I really don't want to write all that here but you can search it up and find these things all over the net.
Cathy
Wed, Oct 24, 2012 : 11:59 p.m.
The primary benefit of marijuana legalization will be fewer people drinking alcohol.
j hampton
Tue, Oct 23, 2012 : 8:10 p.m.
She is going to prison for at least 14 months. She plead guilty to the charge of opersting while intoxicated causing serious injury. The charge that was dismissed was a much less serious charge of ouil. You can't convict one person for two different offenses for the same crime. She could not plead guilty to both and the lesser charge was dropped. So, the comment of "modern justice" makes no sense. Back when I went to college, nothing much would have happened to this person. Modern justice is you go to jail.
justcurious
Tue, Oct 23, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
No surprise here I guess. This is modern justice...at least around here. "Morse has admitted that her blood-alcohol content level was .24 percent when she struck an Ann Arbor man on Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor Township. Morse fled the scene. She said she didn't recall leaving the accident scene due to her intoxication." and then they drop the third charge of operating while intoxicated.