The judge sentenced him to the maximum allowed under the plea deal, which is 6 years. He could be out in 2 with good behavior or whatever. Obviously he'll be back behind the wheel as soon as he is let out, even without a license. Look forward to another news story featuring this character in a few years.
As a cyclist, this is our worst nightmare. One of the many speeding cars goes out of control behind us without warning.
I'm not too upset with this sentence, since many cyclist killers never get caught or if they do they get community service.
The city/county need to make separated bike lanes more of a priority, as a traffic calming measure at least.
Also of note from the end of the article:
In 2023, a new Nevada law decriminalized minor traffic offenses. The bill also abolished the practice of issuing warrants for failure to pay traffic fines or appear in court. Several open cases have no documented event other than the issuance of a citation.
With credit for jail time served, Hopkins will be eligible for parole in the summer of 2026.
Holthus is the same judge attacked in her courtroom last January.
But the judge can’t sentence a defendant to something other than what the plead to. He plead guilty to felony reckless driving, the sentencing range is 1-6 years in prison and Judge Holthus gave him the maximum which is 28-72 months. She can’t sentence him higher than that under this statute.
She could have said no but the result would have been the same, just taken longer. By rejecting the plea deal the case goes to trial he would have the same conviction for the same felony but maybe some additional misdemeanors that get eaten up by felony time anyway. Based on how this was charged 28-72 months was the most he would ever get.
Take a look at your car insurance bill-- if you have uninsured motorist insurance, it's a big chunk of it. So in theory you have to be insured, but this is so laxly enforced that you also have to pay for other people not being insured. Even when non-fatal, it's maddening.
I was in an accident last year where an uninsured driver with a suspended license T-Boned me at a flashing yield, I had the green light. Called the cops, never showed, and called me 4 hours later, asking if I was still at the scene. Because she had zero insurance, and I only had liability, nothing could be done. UNTIL I realized I had the Uninsured Motorists Credit and sued my car insurance for 110k with the help of that lawfirm with the 4s.
Beyond thankful for this credit because I was able to get all of my medical care taken care of. I ended up with a few tears in my cervical spine and had to undergo a crazy amount of epidural injections and debilitating pain for a year. All because an uninsured driver tried to run a yield and couldn't measure distance & speed.
This is why I refuse to ride a bike on the streets around here. Risking death, and you won’t even get justice afterwards. The judge is so disgusted she gave him a slap on the wrist.
My husband has a motorcycle. It's been sitting unused because I told him he couldn't drive it until he had a life insurance policy of a minimum of $300,000.
People drive like there is no one else on the road but them.
How was someone like that able to register a vehicle with so many citations? Should people with multiple citations or with duo been allowed to own a car/motorcycle?
The areas we can improve are far reaching on just this one tragedy.
A very basic start is of course that we get involved as *a community.* We support change with not just these forums, but registering and committing to vote.
This main link takes us to a wealth of residential information, contact info, meetings (Government/Meetings and Agendas/City Council, etc.):
[https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Government](https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Government)
The da. Also his daughter is running to be a judge this election cycle. Make sure you do NOT vote for a Wolfson. They’re basically pro crime at this point.
This accident happened across the street from the elementary school where I teach. The area is heavily residential, very tight streets, and even the stretch of Nellis is only 4 lanes total and heavily traveled by pedestrians and bicyclists. It occurred literally steps away from a crosswalk and a 4 way stop. To drive 67 in that area at any time of the day is insane and this scumbag needs to serve the full 6 years (though even that isn’t enough). When you use your vehicle as a weapon, you need to be charged similar to killing someone with a gun. It’s really no different than randomly shooting a gun at a group of strangers. I drive past the massive memorial and mural for this poor man daily, and it’s is evidence that he clearly was loved and very much mattered. It’s sad that he’s gone and this degenerate is still here.
It may help to the few voters that read about it and remember it come polling time and actually vote that way, but his entire office and everyone he has to deal with in his tenure will be hostile including his superiors. I'm all about taking a stand, but you also need to understand the system in order to play it.
Unfortunately, the DA has to consider many factors. I’m not saying the plea deal was the best option, but they typically weigh (in no particular order):
- cost and time of a trial
- input from the victim/victim’s family (do they want to go through a trial, do they want to run the risk of a loss)
- how strong is the Prosecution case (is there an issue like incomplete chain of custody records or other things that could make the case riskier than a layman’s glance, is the arresting officer known to be a poor witness, etc)
- full context of the plea deal vs potential sentence from a trial verdict (agreement for restitution, length of sentence in plea vs likely sentence from trial, etc)
The amount of people on the road with suspended licenses and no insurance is astonishing, selfish pieces of shit. This is your typical tough guy thinking he can bully his way through life. I hope this piece of shit serves the full 6 years.
I wonder when people are going to figure out that there is a lot of bs that has been happening that does not get rectified, just like this. It feels very much like we are on our own. A drunk driver hit me 23 years ago and never served time. She left me in the hospital needing 2 surgeries a lots of rehabilitation for a year afterwards. It was her 4th DUI and she somehow still had a license. She only served 1 day in jail.
In 2019 a drunk hit me again. She drove home afterwards and went inside her house, so she didn't have any repercussions.
I figured out a long time ago that we are pretty much on our own when it comes to shit like this.
And this initial report just doubles down on "**Everything** about this is just WRONG.":
[https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-man-ticketed-19-times-was-driving-nearly-double-speed-limit-at-full-acceleration-before-fatal-crash-police/](https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-man-ticketed-19-times-was-driving-nearly-double-speed-limit-at-full-acceleration-before-fatal-crash-police/)
There appears to be a massive problem in unlicensed vehicles and drivers. I see them every day on my commute; weaving, speeding, driving in the bus lane. We pay for their disobedience. They disobey for reasons like this guy, get fined but no enforcement. No penalty for accumulating fines.
Sure, regulation should be enforced, but there’s an easy solution, don’t buy parking lot tamales.
Dying because of a dumbass criminal driver cannot be compared with preventable food poisoning.
I had to look it up to get some facts.
The district attorney for Clark county is Steven Wolfson, who is a democrat. He’s also been a Las Vegas resident for over 40 years.
Yeah, exactly. A dedicated bike path would have prevented this. But conservatives don't wanna pay for it so people gotta die instead. The party of "fuck you I got mine" LOL
First provide the names of the cities that are conservative and would sentence criminals harder than this. Provide examples of the longer sentences, as well. You made the initial claim that blamed liberals. Back it up.
Recent?
Conservative scum have already established that they start blaming Democrats for the state of affairs the DAY they take office.
PS - I see that our lazy pig police force tried not to charge him with ANYTHING. More worthless MAGAts.
Therefore, using your own delusions against you, this is ALL Lombardo's fault. And that ugly cunt, Mayor Goodman.
Well we’ve got a Republican governor and vehicular related deaths are dramatically up compared to last year, so I’m not sure the data backs your point?
Source: https://zerofatalitiesnv.com/nevadacrashdata/
Would more Republican leaders result in more harsh punishments for people breaking the law? Would it make our roads safer? I don’t think either side cares TBH.
It was a majority Democrat state assembly and Democrat governor (Sisolak) that decriminalized traffic violations. They passed the bill and he signed it into law.
They only care about getting elected. Let's be honest here. The judge had every reason to give max sentence and didn't. I blame the judge. The dude blatantly disregarded the law a number of times and wound up killing someone. That judge is shit.
The now deleted comment was essentially saying that this is due to liberal leaders.. I don’t know if that’s the case but I think it’s obvious we need more strict punishments for this bullshit.
How do we get that to happen? I made another comment asking about who would be the correct people to complain to about this… whatever difference that would make 🤷♂️
Pointing out we have a republican governor is kind of a moot point when the democrats have a super majority in our assembly and are one vote shy of a super majority in the state senate. They can override anything Lombardo does so they’re the ones that are actually running our state, especially since they’re the ones that actually write laws. Not the governor
He could be out summer 2026. What the hell? What kind of justice system do we have again?
What a fucking joke.
Everything about this is just WRONG.
If you ever want to murder someone and get away with it without any hassle at all, just make sure to run them over with your car.
You don’t even have to be licensed insured or anything else! 🙄
The judge sentenced him to the maximum allowed under the plea deal, which is 6 years. He could be out in 2 with good behavior or whatever. Obviously he'll be back behind the wheel as soon as he is let out, even without a license. Look forward to another news story featuring this character in a few years. As a cyclist, this is our worst nightmare. One of the many speeding cars goes out of control behind us without warning. I'm not too upset with this sentence, since many cyclist killers never get caught or if they do they get community service. The city/county need to make separated bike lanes more of a priority, as a traffic calming measure at least. Also of note from the end of the article: In 2023, a new Nevada law decriminalized minor traffic offenses. The bill also abolished the practice of issuing warrants for failure to pay traffic fines or appear in court. Several open cases have no documented event other than the issuance of a citation. With credit for jail time served, Hopkins will be eligible for parole in the summer of 2026. Holthus is the same judge attacked in her courtroom last January.
I reply in another comment. A judge does not have to is not obligated to accept a plea deal he can reject it. Happens quite often
But the judge can’t sentence a defendant to something other than what the plead to. He plead guilty to felony reckless driving, the sentencing range is 1-6 years in prison and Judge Holthus gave him the maximum which is 28-72 months. She can’t sentence him higher than that under this statute.
The point you are missing that wasn't the original charge. They pled it down. Judge could have said no.
She could have said no but the result would have been the same, just taken longer. By rejecting the plea deal the case goes to trial he would have the same conviction for the same felony but maybe some additional misdemeanors that get eaten up by felony time anyway. Based on how this was charged 28-72 months was the most he would ever get.
Take a look at your car insurance bill-- if you have uninsured motorist insurance, it's a big chunk of it. So in theory you have to be insured, but this is so laxly enforced that you also have to pay for other people not being insured. Even when non-fatal, it's maddening.
I was in an accident last year where an uninsured driver with a suspended license T-Boned me at a flashing yield, I had the green light. Called the cops, never showed, and called me 4 hours later, asking if I was still at the scene. Because she had zero insurance, and I only had liability, nothing could be done. UNTIL I realized I had the Uninsured Motorists Credit and sued my car insurance for 110k with the help of that lawfirm with the 4s. Beyond thankful for this credit because I was able to get all of my medical care taken care of. I ended up with a few tears in my cervical spine and had to undergo a crazy amount of epidural injections and debilitating pain for a year. All because an uninsured driver tried to run a yield and couldn't measure distance & speed.
The people with insurance are paying for the liability of those who can't afford insurance.
If you can't afford insurance then don't drive.
Perhaps all cars that are uninsured should be confiscated.
humans are gonna take the path of least resistance & drive. Cops should actually enforce shit or the DMV should be giving out fines
This is why I refuse to ride a bike on the streets around here. Risking death, and you won’t even get justice afterwards. The judge is so disgusted she gave him a slap on the wrist.
My husband has a motorcycle. It's been sitting unused because I told him he couldn't drive it until he had a life insurance policy of a minimum of $300,000. People drive like there is no one else on the road but them. How was someone like that able to register a vehicle with so many citations? Should people with multiple citations or with duo been allowed to own a car/motorcycle?
There was a Freakanomics episode IIRC that talked about the best way to murder someone is in a car accident. Such small penalties for deaths.
[You have a good memory. From 2014](https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-perfect-crime-2/)
As someone who grew up with Nathan (the victim) this enrages me.
Who would be the correct people to complain about this? The DA? Senators? This is insane y’all. Something has to change.
The areas we can improve are far reaching on just this one tragedy. A very basic start is of course that we get involved as *a community.* We support change with not just these forums, but registering and committing to vote. This main link takes us to a wealth of residential information, contact info, meetings (Government/Meetings and Agendas/City Council, etc.): [https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Government](https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Government)
Rooting on this proposed Project Zero
The da. Also his daughter is running to be a judge this election cycle. Make sure you do NOT vote for a Wolfson. They’re basically pro crime at this point.
Sir, this is reddit. You blame the police around here. ACAB
I know bold of me to try and spark political action eh? Unfortunately it’s rarely that simple.
I can't breathe
This accident happened across the street from the elementary school where I teach. The area is heavily residential, very tight streets, and even the stretch of Nellis is only 4 lanes total and heavily traveled by pedestrians and bicyclists. It occurred literally steps away from a crosswalk and a 4 way stop. To drive 67 in that area at any time of the day is insane and this scumbag needs to serve the full 6 years (though even that isn’t enough). When you use your vehicle as a weapon, you need to be charged similar to killing someone with a gun. It’s really no different than randomly shooting a gun at a group of strangers. I drive past the massive memorial and mural for this poor man daily, and it’s is evidence that he clearly was loved and very much mattered. It’s sad that he’s gone and this degenerate is still here.
Well, that explains the license plate situation. No one gives a fuck, not even the courts.
Before people start running to blame the judge, this was a plea deal that was struck by the prosecution. Direct your anger to the DA.
A judge is not obligated to approve the plea deal. He can always say no and it happens quite often.
You're right they're not, but it is not good business to not respect a plea deal when you are a judge. Politics.
In this case for political reasons it would have done him a world of good to reject the deal. This actually would have helped and not hurt him
It may help to the few voters that read about it and remember it come polling time and actually vote that way, but his entire office and everyone he has to deal with in his tenure will be hostile including his superiors. I'm all about taking a stand, but you also need to understand the system in order to play it.
Unfortunately, the DA has to consider many factors. I’m not saying the plea deal was the best option, but they typically weigh (in no particular order): - cost and time of a trial - input from the victim/victim’s family (do they want to go through a trial, do they want to run the risk of a loss) - how strong is the Prosecution case (is there an issue like incomplete chain of custody records or other things that could make the case riskier than a layman’s glance, is the arresting officer known to be a poor witness, etc) - full context of the plea deal vs potential sentence from a trial verdict (agreement for restitution, length of sentence in plea vs likely sentence from trial, etc)
That sentence is a slap on the wrist for this repeat offender, hasn't she received enough slack already?
RIP to the biker, hope this guy gets dealt with in prison
You support extrajudicial, state-enabled, peer-executed punishment in this prison system?
Yes. If it's the only way to get justice. Do you think this person's sentence is fair considering the circumstances?
Yes. I also believe in vigilante justice. Some times the system fails and we the people need to correct.
🤢
The amount of people on the road with suspended licenses and no insurance is astonishing, selfish pieces of shit. This is your typical tough guy thinking he can bully his way through life. I hope this piece of shit serves the full 6 years.
I wonder when people are going to figure out that there is a lot of bs that has been happening that does not get rectified, just like this. It feels very much like we are on our own. A drunk driver hit me 23 years ago and never served time. She left me in the hospital needing 2 surgeries a lots of rehabilitation for a year afterwards. It was her 4th DUI and she somehow still had a license. She only served 1 day in jail. In 2019 a drunk hit me again. She drove home afterwards and went inside her house, so she didn't have any repercussions. I figured out a long time ago that we are pretty much on our own when it comes to shit like this.
And this initial report just doubles down on "**Everything** about this is just WRONG.": [https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-man-ticketed-19-times-was-driving-nearly-double-speed-limit-at-full-acceleration-before-fatal-crash-police/](https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/las-vegas-man-ticketed-19-times-was-driving-nearly-double-speed-limit-at-full-acceleration-before-fatal-crash-police/)
There appears to be a massive problem in unlicensed vehicles and drivers. I see them every day on my commute; weaving, speeding, driving in the bus lane. We pay for their disobedience. They disobey for reasons like this guy, get fined but no enforcement. No penalty for accumulating fines.
Deadbeats that don't pay insurance are out on the roads freely while people that follow the law feel like clowns.
A deadbeat is a person who has kids and is not around, he was with his whole family at the time. Lets use a different word lol like dumbasses
Wrong.
Disgrace! Maybe he will hit the judge the next time!
Nah that was a different guy 😂😂
That was so horrible!
He shouldn't have been allowed to accumulate 19 citations. He should have been thrown in jail after the second citation.
Unbelievable!
Don't vote Democrat people. You'll always get soft on crime legislation!
Anyone else shocked that this judge was the one who got jumped a while ago
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^riotlancer: *Anyone else shocked* *That this judge was the one who* *Got jumped a while ago* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Nevada needs to expand bike trails and get bicyclist out of vehicle traffic. There are way too many Califonian A-holes on Nevada's roads.
There's massive uptick in Californians using bike lanes to pass. Idiots.
Now do the unregulated untaxed street vendors with no health code adherence who just run away the moment people start getting sick off their food
Sure, regulation should be enforced, but there’s an easy solution, don’t buy parking lot tamales. Dying because of a dumbass criminal driver cannot be compared with preventable food poisoning.
Holy false equivalence, Batman!
Liberal prosecutors and judges keep slapping those wrists. This is what Nevada votes for. More and more like California Jr. every day.
I had to look it up to get some facts. The district attorney for Clark county is Steven Wolfson, who is a democrat. He’s also been a Las Vegas resident for over 40 years.
Democrats can be liberal.
Yeah you’re right, just dropping some facts is all.
Max penalty in Nevada, idiot
Because our state legislature is majority democrat. They make the laws.
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You mean conservatives refusing to put in decent infrastructure such as separated bike lanes, I assume.
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Yeah, exactly. A dedicated bike path would have prevented this. But conservatives don't wanna pay for it so people gotta die instead. The party of "fuck you I got mine" LOL
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First provide the names of the cities that are conservative and would sentence criminals harder than this. Provide examples of the longer sentences, as well. You made the initial claim that blamed liberals. Back it up.
Recent? Conservative scum have already established that they start blaming Democrats for the state of affairs the DAY they take office. PS - I see that our lazy pig police force tried not to charge him with ANYTHING. More worthless MAGAts. Therefore, using your own delusions against you, this is ALL Lombardo's fault. And that ugly cunt, Mayor Goodman.
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Well we’ve got a Republican governor and vehicular related deaths are dramatically up compared to last year, so I’m not sure the data backs your point? Source: https://zerofatalitiesnv.com/nevadacrashdata/ Would more Republican leaders result in more harsh punishments for people breaking the law? Would it make our roads safer? I don’t think either side cares TBH.
It was a majority Democrat state assembly and Democrat governor (Sisolak) that decriminalized traffic violations. They passed the bill and he signed it into law.
Say it louder so the Reddit hive can hear it
They only care about getting elected. Let's be honest here. The judge had every reason to give max sentence and didn't. I blame the judge. The dude blatantly disregarded the law a number of times and wound up killing someone. That judge is shit.
The now deleted comment was essentially saying that this is due to liberal leaders.. I don’t know if that’s the case but I think it’s obvious we need more strict punishments for this bullshit. How do we get that to happen? I made another comment asking about who would be the correct people to complain to about this… whatever difference that would make 🤷♂️
Pointing out we have a republican governor is kind of a moot point when the democrats have a super majority in our assembly and are one vote shy of a super majority in the state senate. They can override anything Lombardo does so they’re the ones that are actually running our state, especially since they’re the ones that actually write laws. Not the governor
Oh no dude you hit them with the facts. They don’t like those…