Defendant Beats Murder Conviction in Oregon DUII Case

The charges stem from a crash in December 2005, on Highway 18 near Booth Bend Road in the City of McMinnville.

Yamhill County Courthouse in McMinnville Photo: Oregon Department of Justice

(MCMINNVILLE, Ore.) - 25-year old Thomas Nolan Jackson was convicted by a Yamhhill County jury today of First-Degree Manslaughter, Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Reckless Driving by a Yamhill County Jury.

The jury stated that it was “hopelessly deadlocked” on the charge of Murder and now joins the list of other futile attempts by prosecutors to convict a defendant of Murder for crimes related to driving while intoxicated.

In a general sense, only intentional homicides are murders. This however is not the first time that a prosecutor has brought a charge of murder forth against a person who killed another in a vehicular crash.

Alicia K. Eagan with the Yamhill County Deputy District Attorney, says the charges stem from a motor vehicle crash that occurred December 4th, 2005, on Highway 18 near Booth Bend Road in the City of McMinnville.

In that crash, a 1984 Ford F250, driven by Mr. Jackson, was traveling at high speed south on Highway 18 when it crashed into a utility pole on the northbound side of the highway.

Several citizens, on scene at the time of the crash, pulled Jackson and his passenger 19-year old Christina Ann Cardinale from the pickup as it caught fire. Jackson suffered severe injuries in the crash and remains partially paralyzed. Ms. Cardinale was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pursuant to Measure 11, Thomas Jackson was sentenced by Judge John L. Collins to 120 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Concurrent sentences of 90 days and 30 days were imposed for the misdemeanor charges of Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Reckless Driving.