News Flash

Sonora, California –Tuolumne County District Attorney Laura Krieg announced today that on May 30, 2017 Jessica Ann Falknor, 32, was sentenced by Judge Donald Segerstrom to 7 years in state prison after she pled to Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated (Penal Code section 191.5(b)), Driving Under the Influence Causing Injury (Vehicle Code section 23153) and Child Endangerment (Penal Code section 273a(a)) with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a person under the age of 5 years.  Assistant District Attorney Eric Hovatter, who prosecuted the case, indicated the following as the main facts in the case:  On August 9, 2015 Ms. Falknor had been at Don Pedro Reservoir with friends and family, and during the outing consumed an unknown number of alcoholic beverages.  At approximately 6:00 p.m. Ms. Falknor left the lake and drove a 2004 Honda Element with her boyfriend Bryon Stutts Jr. in the front passenger seat, and her sister Kathryn Falknor, 20, and Ms. Falknor’s 3 year old child in the rear passenger seats.  Ms. Falknor lost control of her car on SR-132, left the roadway and went down an embankment.  The vehicle came to rest on its roof.  Mr. Stutts Jr. was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.  Both Kathryn Falknor and Ms. Falknor’s child suffered broken bones, as did Ms. Falknor.  Ms. Falknor was airlifted to Doctor’s Medical Center where a blood draw was obtained almost 4 hours after the incident and her blood alcohol level was .10%, which indicated that her blood alcohol level at the time of the incident was approximately .16%.  Based on the seriousness of the charges Ms. Falknor will have to serve 85% of her time before being eligible for release.