Murder Charges Refiled Against Drunk Driver
The Ventura County district attorney’s office Friday refiled second-degree murder charges against a Somis woman who killed three youths and injured two others while driving drunk last March.
Prosecutors took the action shortly after Ventura County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Soares on Friday dismissed charges against Diane Mannes, 35. Her first trial ended Nov. 17 when the jury deadlocked. Prosecutors do not plan to allow Mannes to plead guilty to lesser charges of manslaughter, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Donald Glynn.
After the deadlock, the district attorney’s office had asked Soares to save prosecutors and the court time by setting a new trial date, which would eliminate the need to refile charges and hold a preliminary hearing.
But Soares said the time-saving argument was not enough to convince him.
Mannes was found guilty of felony drunk driving and injuring two people. She is scheduled to be sentenced on those charges Jan. 12.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
