You may recall hearing the story of a 24-year-old woman crashing her car into a Sky Harbor International Airport security gate. Back in November of 2012, when Koko Nicole Anderson crashed through the gate with her infant son, the public and media instantly slammed her, labeling her a terrorist and insane. However, with counsel from Bernardo Garcia Law, her charges were minimized due to a case of mental illness, where a woman did not have the proper resources to care for her Bipolar Disorder.
Public Opinion Didn’t Rule This Case
If it were up the court of public opinion, Koko would be in jail for a long time, maybe the rest of her life. Thankfully, the court of public opinion does not constitute “the right to due process,” and the case was heard in court. After three long years of defense, Bernardo Garcia Law was able to reach a plea agreement for Koko. Sentenced with 5 years probation, along with parenting classes, mental health treatment and monitoring, Koko was able to avoid jail. As part of her plea agreement, she also must pay restitution for the incident. Sky Harbor officials are quoting the incident as costing $13,500 in damage.
If you or someone you know have been involved in an incident and mental health is a factor, give us a call today. Having an attorney on your side that has a wealth of experience defending those with mental health issues can greatly increase your chances of success.
Photo by David
