ProPublica documents an outlier vehicular homicide case where a 19‑year‑old with a BAC of 0.016 and modest speeding was charged with murder and offered no typical plea reductions. A review of similar Alabama cases shows murder filings are usually reserved for extreme aggravators; attorneys argue perceived immigration status shaped decisions from the first moments.
— If charging and plea practices vary with a suspect’s immigration status, prosecutors’ unchecked discretion becomes a civil‑rights and incarceration‑policy problem that warrants data transparency and standard guidelines.
Autauga County case in Alabama’s 19th Circuit: BAC 0.016, ~70 mph in a 55 zone, no prior DUIs, yet a murder charge and a 30‑year recommendation—unlike peers who received lesser charges or plea deals.