The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the conviction of Johnthony K. Walker of six counts of criminally negligent homicide, 11 counts of reckless aggravated assault, seven counts of assault, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of reckless driving, and one count of the use of a portable electronic device by a school bus driver after a school bus he was driving crashed leaving six children dead and numerous other children injured.
Judge Don Poole had sentenced Walker to an effective sentence of four years for the convictions and denied judicial diversion after a sentencing hearing.
On appeal, Walker argued that the trial court improperly denied judicial diversion and/or an alternative sentence. After a thorough review, the court affirmed the judgments of the trial court.
Walker was sentenced to four years in state prison in April, 2018 by Judge Poole in connection with the school bus crash.