Pulp Fiction Writer Convicted of Misdemeanor Gross Vehicular Manslaughter
Roger Avary, the Oscar-winning co-writer of “Pulp Fiction”, was sentenced last week in the Ventura Superior Court to one-year in a county jail, five years formal probation, and over $5,000 in fines for a California DUI he suffered early last year. Avary was driving his Mercedes over 100 mph when he crashed into a telephone poll. The accident ejected his wife from the car and killed his passenger.
Avary pled guilty to Penal Code 191.5a gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI causing injury. He also admitted allegations that he caused multiple victims to suffer great bodily injury during the commission of the crime. A “great bodily injury” is a significant or substantial injury…if inflicted, the defendant usually suffers an enhanced jail or prison sentence.
Just based on the great bodily injury allegations alone, Avary could have been sentenced to five years in the California State Prison. The gross vehicular manslaughter charge (which is typically a felony) invites a four, six, or ten-year prison sentence. This means that Avary could have been sentenced to a prison term of between nine and fifteen-years if you add up all of his exposure.
This is a great example of how factors other than the offense can help reduce your sentence. Perhaps Avary showed an incredible amount of remorse…maybe he had an otherwise unblemished driving and criminal record…maybe he was a philanthropist…or perhaps this was just another case of celebrity justice.
