Massachusetts Judge Suspends Half of Prison Sentence After Danvers Teen Pleads Guilty to Midsdemeanor Vehicular Homicide for Head-On Crash That Killed Elderly Peabody Woman

In Massachusetts, Buck Bishop, the then-18-year-old Danvers teenager who fatally struck 73-year-old Peabody resident Joyce Oliver and injured a Boston-area couple while driving to a methadone clinic last year, has been ordered to serve a 15-month-prison sentence.

Last week, Bishop pleaded guilty to misdemeanor vehicular homicide. He admitted that he crossed the center line and struck the two vehicles carrying the three victims while driving on Route 1 close to the Topsfield-Danvers line on November 16, 2007.

Bishop had previously told police that he blacked out at the wheel and did not remember anything about the accident. According to a drug recognition expert called in by police, the teenager was not driving under the influence of drugs when the accident occurred. Bishop, however, admitted to using cocaine two days prior to the crash.

Prosecutors had pushed to have Bishop serve a full 2 ½ year jail sentence, which is the maximum sentence for his crime. They noted that he had violated the terms of his release on more than one occasion when he tested positive for narcotics and failed to meet with his probation officer earlier this year. As a result, Bishop has been in police custody and held without bail since then.

Judge Robert Cornetta sentenced Bishop to the full-term but suspended half of the time at the request of Bishop’s Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer. Bishop will also serve probation for 10 years and his license has been revoked for 15 years. Bishop, who received credit for the 111 days that he spent in police custody, could be eligible for parole in four months.

If you face criminal charges for a motor vehicle accident in the greater Boston area or anywhere in Massachusetts, you are entitled to the best criminal defense available to you.

Man gets 15 months in crash that killed elderly Peabody woman, The Salem News, September 26, 2008
Teen changes mind about plea in fatal crash, The Salem News, July 8, 2008

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In Massachusetts, Altman & Altman, LLP would like to meet with you to explore your legal options. Our Boston criminal defense lawyers have helped many motorists secure the best outcome possible for their cases.

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