The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, in a 54-page ruling, has upheld the conviction of Janet Elaine Hinds in the traffic death of Chattanooga Police Officer Nicholas Galinger.
Ms. Hinds, the former postmaster at Soddy Daisy, had appealed her Criminal Court jury
convictions of vehicular homicide by intoxication, driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, and other driving-related offenses, for which she received
an effective sentence of 11 years’ incarceration.
On appeal, the defendant challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting her convictions for vehicular homicide by intoxication and DUI, the denial of her motions to suppress evidence obtained from the searches of her home and vehicle, the admission of a life photograph of the victim and videos of the crime scene, the limitation of cross-examination and exclusion of evidence related to the defense’s calculation of blood alcohol levels, the jury instructions on flight and proximate cause, and comments made by the prosecution during closing arguments.
Her attorney, Ben McGowan, also argued that her sentence was excessive and that the "cumulative effect of the errors entitles her to a new trial."
The appeals court said, "Discerning no error, we affirm."
The case was handled by Judge Don Poole.
Officer Galinger, 38, was struck and killed as he inspected an overflowing manhole cover on Hamill Road in February 2019.
Ms. Hinds had consumed 78 ounces of beer. She was found guilty of vehicular homicide by intoxication and seven other charges by a jury last September.
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