Curtis Jay Mullen gets 9 months behind bars

[old_time_hockey]

Nine months for driver who injured hockey player Robinson
Canadian Press
Published: Monday, May 07, 2007
MOOSE JAW, Sask. - A man who admitted he had been drinking before a crash that seriously injured a junior hockey player in Saskatchewan has been sentenced to nine months in jail.

Curtis Jay Mullen, 23, of Moose Jaw, Sask., pleaded guilty in March to one count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in the Oct. 22 accident that hurt Garrett Robinson of the Western Hockey League's Moose Jaw Warriors.

Charges of impaired driving causing bodily harm and driving with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit were stayed.

Court heard Mullen was driving a truck that broadsided a car carrying three players who were returning to their billets after a road trip.

Robinson, a forward, suffered severe head injuries and was in a coma for several weeks, but he is now walking, talking and recovering with his family in Vancouver.

Mullen also faces 18 months on probation after he is released and his driver's licence has been suspended indefinitely.

"This sends a message to people out there. These offences have to be taken seriously," Crown prosecutor Rob Parker said Monday after the sentencing.

"It's going to be tough. He has never been in jail before. He's not looking forward to it," said Mullen's lawyer, Merv Shaw, who added Mullen has accepted his fate.

As he was leaving the courthouse, Mullen told reporters he felt fine and had no reaction to his sentence.

The crash took place in the early hours of a Sunday morning when Robinson, 19-year-old goaltender Joey Perricone from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Carter Smith, a forward from Eyebrow, Sask., were in Smith's car on the way back to their billets in Manitoba after a road trip in Alberta.

Mullen's truck ran a stop sign and hit the car on the passenger side, where Robinson was sitting.

Perricone and Smith were treated in hospital for minor injuries and released.

But Robinson, 18, of Surrey, B.C., was rushed to Regina General Hospital where he underwent surgery for critical head injuries. He was on life support for a week, but as he began to recover he was transferred to a Vancouver hospital for long-term care.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I guess justice has been served. Seems a bit light, but since the impaired driving charges never were factored in, 9 months in the pokey (he'll find out why prison is called that), 18 months probation and doesn't know when/if he will ever drive again seems inline.

That and he will have to live with the fact that he was the guy in Moose Jaw that almost killed some of the players. Don't think the towns folk will take too kindly to him from now on.

[Dwight Schrute]

i thought the impaired driving charges he got away with ?

[crush]

I hope he has to serve the entire 9 months and that he dosen't get out early for good behavior or whatever!!

[Warriorfanatic]

i thought the impaired driving charges he got away with ?

Yes he got away with the impaired, but still lost his ability to drive as he blew over the legal limit, twice. He is banned from driving in Saskatchewan for life and cannot drive in Canada, anywhere for four years. I believe there was plea bargaining in effect which is why not all the potential charges were laid.

[Dwight Schrute]

Yes he got away with the impaired, but still lost his ability to drive as he blew over the legal limit, twice. He is banned from driving in Saskatchewan for life and cannot drive in Canada, anywhere for four years. I believe there was plea bargaining in effect which is why not all the potential charges were laid.
banned for life ? i doubt that, 1st time offender is a 1 year susp 2nd can be 3 years(pending on timeframes). did he have previous impaired driving convictions ? cause if not he can drive after 1 year.
and as a sidenote, when a breathalyser is administered 2 samples are taken, 15 min apart. so of course he would blow twice.
and if he "got away with the impaired" he would retain his driving privledges.
from what i gather from news reports he doesnt lose his license, just gets 9 months (or less) jail time for dangerous driving causing bodily harm

[Warriorfanatic]

banned for life ? i doubt that, 1st time offender is a 1 year susp 2nd can be 3 years(pending on timeframes). did he have previous impaired driving convictions ? cause if not he can drive after 1 year.
and as a sidenote, when a breathalyzer is administered 2 samples are taken, 15 min apart. so of course he would blow twice.
and if he "got away with the impaired" he would retain his driving privileges.
from what i gather from news reports he doesnt lose his license, just gets 9 months (or less) jail time for dangerous driving causing bodily harm

Yes I know how breathalyzer is administered and the time frame. Here is a quote from a local source[Discovermoosejaw.com], Mullen received 9 months in prison, followed by an 18 month probation... and his driver's license has been cancelled in Canada for four years. From the Moose Jaw Times Herald, 'Curtis Mullen was sentenced to nine months jail to for dangerous driving in provincial court on Monday.' Now I might have jumped the gun and anticipated SGI's response but, 'Mullen was also given 18 months probation and his license was cancelled. He is prohibited from driving a vehicle in Canada for the next four years. Whether he will ever be able to drive again is Saskatchewan is yet to be determined.(Moose Jaw Times Herald)'

As a former dispatcher for the Saskatchewan RCMP (I no longer work there as I am retired), I believe that he will loose his driving rights in the province for life. SGI has done this on many occasions before, and they will examine all aspects of the case, but they will look closely at the judges ruling and be guided by it. A four year ban from driving in Canada is not something to be taken lightly, obviously the judge saw something in Mr. Mullen that bothered him. After four years you may go to another province and get a license but if you are banned for life in this province as one driver found out when he was stopped for speeding, you are banned for life and the police will take you into custody.

Also SGI rules are changing with regard to DWI, you can blow and get simply a warning or 24 hours, get caught again within five years, and it was either a 15 or 30 day suspension (not sure which time line they will choose).

Get caught while on a 24 hours suspension a second time during that 24 hour period, and it is 30-90 days depending greatly on the mood of the officer, your cooperation and the level you blew. Again this has happened. It is in the public record.

SGI could ban him for life through administration processes that are seperate from the court system, again they have used this avenue before, which is why I think they might ban him for life in this province.

His sentencing is public record, I did not make this up. There were other charges as well, speeding, failing to stop and attempted flight from a scene of an accident (He was held by people who came out of there homes to see what the fuss was about, until police could arrive.) but those are grapevine chatter and cannot be proven.

However another fact on public record is this, the Father of the injured Warrior is contemplating suing as he states many of the charges were not dealt with, so there is still more to this story.

[Warriorfanatic]

Yes I know how breathalyzer is administered and the time frame. Here is a quote from a local source[Discovermoosejaw.com], Mullen received 9 months in prison, followed by an 18 month probation... and his driver's license has been cancelled in Canada for four years. From the Moose Jaw Times Herald, 'Curtis Mullen was sentenced to nine months jail to for dangerous driving in provincial court on Monday.' Now I might have jumped the gun and anticipated SGI's response but, 'Mullen was also given 18 months probation and his license was cancelled. He is prohibited from driving a vehicle in Canada for the next four years. Whether he will ever be able to drive again is Saskatchewan is yet to be determined.(Moose Jaw Times Herald)'

As a former dispatcher for the Saskatchewan RCMP (I no longer work there as I am retired), I believe that he will loose his driving rights in the province for life. SGI has done this on many occasions before, and they will examine all aspects of the case, but they will look closely at the judges ruling and be guided by it. A four year ban from driving in Canada is not something to be taken lightly, obviously the judge saw something in Mr. Mullen that bothered him. After four years you may go to another province and get a license but if you are banned for life in this province as one driver found out when he was stopped for speeding, you are banned for life and the police will take you into custody.

Also SGI rules are changing with regard to DWI, you can blow and get simply a warning or 24 hours, get caught again within five years, and it was either a 15 or 30 day suspension (not sure which time line they will choose).

Get caught while on a 24 hours suspension a second time during that 24 hour period, and it is 30-90 days depending greatly on the mood of the officer, your cooperation and the level you blew. Again this has happened. It is in the public record.

SGI could ban him for life through administration processes that are seperate from the court system, again they have used this avenue before, which is why I think they might ban him for life in this province.

His sentencing is public record, I did not make this up. There were other charges as well, speeding, failing to stop and attempted flight from a scene of an accident (He was held by people who came out of there homes to see what the fuss was about, until police could arrive.) but those are grapevine chatter and cannot be proven.

However another fact on public record is this, the Father of the injured Warrior is contemplating suing as he states many of the charges were not dealt with, so there is still more to this story.

More insight found on public record, this is perhaps what the judge saw in Mr. Mullen, it is taken from his press conference after sentencing, again from the Moose Jaw Times Herald, 'When leaving the courthouse, Mullen told reporters that he felt fine and had no reaction to his sentence.' Does not sound like a remorseful soul. From that same source, here is the offense of running a stop sign, 'The truck driven by Mullen ran a stop sign on Fourth Avenue Northwest, broadsiding Smith's car,' Again one item that was gossip is now part of the public record.