20-Year-Old Ferndale Man Receives Four Years in Jail After Violating His Probation
Press release from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:
District Attorney Maggie Fleming announced that on Tuesday, August 16th, Judge Neel sentenced 20-year-old Ismael Lopez Jr to serve 4 years in the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for violating the terms of his felony probation. His original conviction stemmed from December 17, 2020, when he crashed while driving under the influence of alcohol, killing his passenger. Lopez pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated (Penal Code 191.5 (b)) and driving under the influence causing death (Vehicle Code 23153 (a)&(b)), with the sentence to be determined by the judge. On February 14, 2021, after hearing from the victim’s family, Judge Feeney sentenced Lopez to 1 year in jail and 3 years of felony probation.
Lopez violated probation on February 2, 2022 by driving under the influence of drugs. He then pled guilty to that charge and admitted his conduct violated his grant of probation. Once again, the family of the victim in the 2020 manslaughter case addressed the court at sentencing. Judge Neel imposed a 4-year term, which is the maximum that may be imposed for his crimes.
Earlier:
- One Vehicle Fully Engulfed in Fire and a Woman Trapped After a Crash on Myrtle Avenue in Eureka
- Man Arrested for DUI in Connection With Fatal Crash on Myrtle Ave Early This Morning
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Some people never learn.
Soft sentencing is not enough of a deterrent for some.
Now he has 4 years to think it over.
Should be far longer than that.
I agree and they should send them off to prison not in Humboldt County Jail with friends. He wasn’t even out of jail for six months before hitting hospitalizing two other people.
I agree. The probation was a gift he didn’t deserve in the first place. He couldn’t even abide by it. Lucky he didn’t kill again, but he’s young so unless he changes ways he will have plenty of time to destroy more innocent lives.
Let’s see what the courts will hand Brent John Holdridge ?
The county jail for four years? Not great. Send him to state prison.
Prison is much preferred by inmates. County is awful, amateur bs
It’s true. 4 years in county is way worse
Why is a county sentence worse than going to the state penitentiary? I’ll let you know what I see in movies and TV but I’m curious why the state pen would be better? It’s always portrayed as worse in media.
Agree because he wasn’t even out of jail for six months before Drinking and driving and hit and hospitalized two other girls
I am disgusted with Ismael. He keep making reckless decision and jeopardize our community and destroys life’s. He needs to have a harsh punishment, he killed Emily and continues to make the same decision to get behind the wheel intoxicated. Ismael gets a slap on the wrist again. Don’t let it trick you… he will be out in about a 1.5 or 2,. he has already got credit for over 600 days. It makes me puke…
Clearly Feeney isn’t much of a judge. He seems to give weak sentences regularly. His shameful decision in this case didn’t work. It’s fortunate this pos didn’t hurt or kill this time or the not so honorable judge would bear responsibility. It’s time all judges step up and put away scumbags for longer.
He did hurt 2 young girls. It was a hit and run that he was in which lead to his arrest.
I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure anything imposed over 11 months 29 days of State time. This person may be on his way to the penitentiary. I’ve never known anybody to be sentenced to multiple years to be served at a county jail. I am a former addict who has been sober for over 22 and 1/2 years. I’ve been to more meetings than I got here on my head. What I’ve learned through the years about alcoholism that it is a progressive disease and if it goes on untreated it never gets better only progressively worse. Unless this person puts his disease under arrest and treats it he will never get better. Only him and him alone to make that decision, maybe this will be his bottom and he will have a spiritual awakening hopefully. I’m so glad to see that he has been taken off the streets and off the roads and he cannot harm nobody else at least for the next four years.
The laws changed close to 10 years ago, now they give multiple years in county jail. The problem is, county jail inmates only serve 10 percent of their time. So he will only serve 36.5 days times 4 = 146 days.
I want to applaud you for getting your life together and maintaining your sobriety for so many years. It is not an easy row to hoe and although I do not know you, I am proud of you .
This young boy was involved in a hit and run which lead to his arrest. Thankful for the witness on scene that was able to get his license plate. He stopped long enough to cut the airbags out so he could continue on. Why wouldn’t he stop to check on the 2 young girls he hit? Oh that’s right he left one young girl to die alone so why would he stop. His mom is just as in the wrong as she continued to allow him to drive her vehicle then lie about it when he recked it. Somebody had to pay the bill. I’m sure the license plate cover that was in the car he wrecked the first time and then second time will follow to the next car. Mom must really like it. I would hope he would learn his lesson the first time. Hopefully there won’t be a 3rd.
It’s too bad the DA in Lake County doesn’t follow suit.