SOBERING SENTENCES

June 16: Traver Johnson, 21, was sentenced by Winnebago County Judge John Truitt to 13 years in the IDOC for Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated DUI/Causing Great Bodily Harm, Aggravated Battery and Leaving the Scene of an Accident. The September 14, 2008 incident caused severe damage to both of Eustachio Abbinante’s, 32, legs. Abbinante’s left leg was amputated. Abbinante and Johnson had been at a block party when a fight broke out. Initially Johnson was being attacked. Abbinante helped Johnson to his car and he drove away, but doubled back and sped toward the people in the street. Abbinante and a friend were in the path of Johnson’s vehicle. He shoved his friend out of the way, taking the brunt of the impact. Abbinante was pinned between the defendant’s car and a pickup truck. His left leg was immediately severed. Eustachio Abbinante is a former U.S. Army Special Forces Private. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Wendy Larson.

July 14: Tania Cederholm, 35, was sentenced by a McHenry County judge to eight years in the IDOC for Aggravated DUI/Causing Death. The crash occurred on February 21, 2007 when Cederholm turned in front of an oncoming car with the right of way. The car, driven by David LeJune of Rockford, spun out of control and was hit by a third car. David LeJune died from injuries sustained in the crash. The defendant’s BAC was 0.246. She had at least one prior DUI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Phil Hiscock and Ryan Blackney.

August 5: Mark Porter, 36, was sentenced by Stark County Judge Kevin Galley to 12 years in the IDOC for Aggravated DUI/Causing Great Bodily Harm. In addition, he was ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to his victim, 18 year-old Aron Pearson. The defendant sped through a rural intersection and collided with a car driven by Pearson. His BAC was 0.218. According to “black box” data on Porter’s truck and court records, he was traveling 78 mph one second before the crash and did not apply his brakes as he approached the intersection. The IDOC sentence is the maximum allowable under the law. State’s Attorney James Owens prosecuted the case.

August 12: Steven Manson, 41, was sentenced to 20 years in the IDOC for Aggravated DUI (Class 1 felony) and Aggravated Intimidation (Class 2 felony). The defendant has four prior DUI convictions. On September 1, 2009, the defendant was stopped for erratic driving. He failed the field sobriety tests, was verbally abusive toward arresting officers and appeared visibly drunk. There was an open bottle of vodka in the center console. The Aggravated Intimidation charge was from an earlier, unrelated incident. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally.

August 25: Mark Shubert, 41, was sentenced by Kendall County Judge John Barsanti to five years in the IDOC for Aggravated DUI/ Causing Death. On February 20, 2010, the defendant was driving with a BAC of 0.223 when he swerved into oncoming traffic and hit another car head on. The passenger of that car, Nicholas Frank, died as a result of his injuries. The defendant had a criminal history including two prior DUI’s. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Frank Gorup and Robert Dore.

August 30: Justin Bartlett, 21, was sentenced by Winnebago County Judge John Truitt to 12 years in the IDOC for Aggravated DUI/Causing Death. The crash occurred just after midnight, August 26, 2010 when the defendant, speeding at nearly 100 mph, ran a red light and crashed into a car driven by Christopher Krenzer, 20. Blood tests revealed the defendant had a BAC of 0.115 and had marijuana in his system. The defendant was also sentenced to concurrent terms in prison for Unlawful Use of Weapons and Possession of Firearm Ammunition without Requisite Firearms Owner’s Identification Card after a gun was found in the car. He was also sentenced to a consecutive 3 ½ year sentence to the IDOC on a probation violation for Aggravated Battery.

September 7: Shawn Bahrs, 47, was sentenced to 33 years in the IDOC by Champaign County Judge Richard Klaus. This was the defendant’s 5th DUI. The defendant was arrested on February 7th and convicted by a jury for Aggravated DUI, Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Peace Officer, and Driving With a Revoked License. The arrest was made with the assistance of Ron Blakey, a News-Gazette employee who observed Bahrs behaving oddly before getting into a car and driving away. Blakey followed Bahrs and remained on the phone with the 911 dispatch center until local law enforcement began pursuit of the defendant’s vehicle. The defendant fled from law enforcement, driving on the wrong side of the road and attempting to ram an officer. Stop sticks were deployed, which caused the defendant to lose control of the car and come to rest in a ditch. In arguing for a lighter sentence, the defendant said, “The state is treating me like I was the Manson of DUI’s. I was the only one hurt. I was the one who lost a business. I’m the victim.” Judge Klaus sentenced Bahrs to the maximum term for the Aggravated DUI and an additional three years for Aggravated Fleeing.