Court briefs for July 5, 2002

Friday, July 5, 2002 | 9:08 a.m.

Plea deal made in fatal accident

A 63-year-old Las Vegas woman entered a plea agreement Wednesday that will guarantee she spend at least 3 1/2 years in prison in connection with a fatal drunken driving accident.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker said Lucinda Anderson pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor, causing death, in exchange for three other charges being dismissed.

As a result of her plea, Anderson will get 3 1/2 to 15 years in prison on Aug. 7.

Booker said Anderson had a blood alcohol level of 0.20 when she left the Palms on Jan. 21 and caused a multiple vehicle accident that killed Michaela Hamilton, 29.

Anderson fled the scene of the accident only to be tracked down through a license plate torn off her car during the incident, Booker said.

She failed field sobriety tests when she was found a few hours after the accident and experts were able to extrapolate to determine her blood alcohol level, Booker said.

New trial in killing sought

An attorney for a Henderson man convicted of killing his girlfriend says new information about the case should result in a new trial for his client.

Deputy Public Defender Drew Christensen said that after his client, Stephen Briller, was convicted last month an inmate at the Clark County Detention Center told him that he once discussed how to become a snitch with a key witness in the Briller case.

The key witness, Donald Stenger, told jurors that while he was locked up with Briller, Briller confessed he strangled Teri Roberts, 33.

The inmate's story should cast doubt on Stenger's story, Christensen said.

District Judge Donald Mosley is scheduled to hear arguments about the new trial July 24.

Briller is currently scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 7. He faces the possibility of a no-parole life sentence.