Nicole Baukus

Nicole Baukus
Born April 2, 1989
The Woodlands, Texas, US
Criminal penalty
 38 years in state prison
Criminal status Incarcerated at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas
Conviction(s) Second degree vehicular manslaughter

Nicole Nadra Baukus (born April 2, 1989) is an American woman convicted of two counts of vehicular manslaughter stemming from an accident on June 29, 2012 where she was driving intoxicated.[1] Baukus pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 38 years in prison with the possibility of parole.[1][2] Highway surveillance cameras showed Baukus driving on the wrong side of Interstate 45 after she had consumed 21 drinks of alcohol at a nearby bar.[3][4] A later appeal against her conviction was dismissed.[5] Nicole Baukus attended and graduated from Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, Texas.

Trial

Baukus was charged with two counts of second-degree felony intoxication manslaughter and one count of third-degree felony intoxication assault.[6] After initially pleading not guilty to the charges against her, she pled guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter on August 1, 2013.[1] Baukus was sentenced to a maximum of 38 years in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2047.[7]

Indigent Claim and Appeal

On September 27, 2013 Judge Michael Seiler denied Nicole Baukus her appeal.[8] Nonetheless on December 20, 2013 Nicole Baukus returned from prison to the Montgomery County Jail to face the judge and claim indigence.[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Defense in wrong-way drunk driving trial of Nicole Baukus changes plea to guilty | News - Home". click2houston.com. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  2. ↑ "Wrong-way driver sentenced to 38 years in prison - Houston Chronicle". chron.com. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  3. ↑ Young woman charged with DWI in I-45 wrong-way crash. KHOU, June 29, 2012
  4. ↑ "Grand jury indicts first wrong-way driver - Your Houston News: News". yourhoustonnews.com. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  5. ↑ "judge denIes new trial for wrong way driver - Montgomery County Police Reporter". montgomerycountypolicereporter.com. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  6. ↑ $1 million: Local sports bar settles in over-serving case tied to 2012 wrong-way crash. Your Houston News, April 1, 2013
  7. ↑ Woman in deadly 2012 DUI crash sentenced to 38 years in prison ABC News, August 2, 2013
  8. ↑ Judge denies wrong-way drunk driver's appeal for new hearing KHOU, September 27, 2013,
  9. ↑ Judge ponders Nicole Baukus’ indigent claim Your Houston News, December 20, 2013,