KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Charles Pickett Jr. of Battle Creek has been sentenced to 40 to 75 years in prison with two years off for time served.
It’s a complicated sentence that combines both concurrent and consecutive sentences, handed down for a crash that killed five bicyclists near Kalamazoo just over 2 years ago. and injured four others.
Judge Paul Bridenstine chastised Pickett for showing little or no remorse for his crimes and explained in some detail for the packed courtroom, and for the benefit of the appellate courts, exactly what he was thinking, citing case law several times to justify the sentence, which he suggested may exceed guidelines under current court policy.
He gave Pickett 35 to 55 years for each of the five counts of 2nd degree murder for the deaths of Debbie Bradley and Suzanne Sippel who were from Augusta and Melissa Fevig Hughes, Tony Nelson and Larry Paulik of Kalamazoo.
He ordered that that time be served “concurrently” or simultaneously.
Then he cited the particularly egregious nature of the five reckless driving causing death counts.
Judge Bridenstine said “because of the extraordinary and stunning facts revealed in this case. The defendant willfully consumed multiple substances, then chose to drive and continued to drive over an extended period of time in a mostly residential area during a very busy time of day. He did so despite the multiple warnings and opportunities to halt his driving”. Which the judge said ultimately led to that horrific collision and the resulting death and injury.
He said that justified making the sentences for those crimes run consecutively, or end to end, giving Pickett 8 to 15 years on each of the five counts. That adds up to 40 to 75 years.
Subtract the 734-days he has already served and Pickett’s first shot at parole will be when he is 90-years-old.
For each of the four counts of driving recklessly causing injury, he sentenced Pickett to 3 to 5 years, which will run at the same time as all the other sentences.
The hearing began with heartbreaking statements from the friends and families of the deceased, and from the survivors, and a brief statement of remorse from Pickett, who said he would gladly give up his life if it would bring back the others.
At the end of the hearing, Pickett was handed a form to fill out if he wished to appeal the sentence and then the Judge departed from the courtroom.
Pickett will be driven to the State Prison in Jackson for an orientation period and then assigned the prison where he will likely spend the rest of his life.
