8/3/2019 Former Yankee Jim Leyritz Acquitted of DUI Manslaughter
in 2007 Death of Florida Mom - NYPOST
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Ex-Yank Leyritz acquitted of DUI manslaBy THOMAS FRANCIS in Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla. and CANDICE M. GIOVE in New YorkLast Updated: 6:05
PM, November 20, 2010
Posted: 12:45 PM, November 20, 2010
Former Yankee catcher Jim Leyritz caught a break from a Florida
jury today when he wa
manslaughter charge that probably would have landed him in
prison for 15 years.
He was convicted of drunken driving, for which he may still be
senteced to six months in
The relieved hero of the 1996 World Series wept silently and
tightly embraced family me
verdict came down.
"When I walked out of the house this morning my 9 year-old
hugged me and said, Dadd
what this is all about," Leyritz said, clutching a picture of
his three sons.
"There are no winners here," he said as he left the courtroom.
"This was a traffic accide
truth came out and the system worked."
The Bronx Bomber was bombed on December 28, 2007 when his Ford
Expedition collid
Ann Veitchs Mitsubishi Montero.
Florida prosecutors, however, failed to prove that the baseball
player rocketed through a
that killed the mom of two.
Deadlocked since Friday, jurors in the Fort Lauderdale courtroom
feared theyd reached
But holdout Sharon Kay Wessinger who had remained unconvinced
that the major lea
above the legal limit changed her mind 45 minutes into
yesterdays deliberations.
"We realized that the judge wanted us to go back in and reach a
verdict," Wessinger sai
"I knew that it was very important for the sake of everybody
involved to make sure we di
Defense experts testified that Leyritz may have been below
Floridas 0.08 percent blood
blood tested at 0.14 percent three hours after the crash.
The experts said it may have taken a while for the vodka shot
Leyritz downed just befor
alcohol to the higher level.
Jurors said they didnt believe Leyritz blew through a red light
on the way home from a b
"All we could do was focus on the traffic signal," said juror
Rick Reyes.
Veitchs heartbroken family left with a heavy sense of
disappointment.
"I dont believe the truth was evident to the jurors," said Donna
OKeefe, grandmother of
Updated: Sat., Nov. 20, 2010, 6:05 PM
http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/local/ex_yank_leyritz_aquitted_of_dui_lao7sMgveVcpyraeE5w
8/3/2019 Former Yankee Jim Leyritz Acquitted of DUI Manslaughter
in 2007 Death of Florida Mom - NYPOST
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"Im 150 percent sure he ran the red light," she added. "I think
the evidence proved that.
wasnt shown."
A judge set sentencing Dec. 1 for Leyritz, who hit a memorable
home run that helped th
win against the Braves in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series.
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