Monday, July 31, 2000
Man charged in killing UK player was DUI repeater
Sentenced to jail five times; served 52 of 522 days given for offenses
By
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON — The man charged with killing a former University of Kentucky football player six years ago has been convicted repeatedly on drunken-driving charges, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.
But court records show that because of suspended sentences and poor communication among prosecutors in different counties, Shane Ragland, 27, has served little time in jail.
He has been sentenced to jail five times for a total of 522 days for offenses but has served only 52 days.
Those familiar with Kentucky's drunken-driving laws say that Mr. Ragland's case — he's been convicted five times in nine years for DUI and twice for the related violation of driving on a license suspended for drunken driving — illustrates cracks in the legal system.
Mr. Ragland, son of a prominent Frankfort businessman, completed only one sentence. Judges suspended part or all of the others, meaning Mr. Ragland didn't have to serve the time unless he committed another offense within a certain period.
But when he did so on three occasions, court records show, the judges failed to order more jail time — apparently because the violations occurred in different counties and court officials weren't aware Mr. Ragland had suspended sentences pending.
“It's a systemic problem,” said Benham Sims, a former Louisville prosecutor and judge who wrote the state prosecutors' DUI manual.
In Bullitt County, where Mr. Ragland was convicted in 1998 on his fourth drunken-driving charge, prosecutors are too overwhelmed by a massive caseload to check out details of every defen dant, said Bullitt County Attorney Walt Sholar.
Mr. Ragland was arrested July 14 and charged with the 1994 murder of football player Trent DiGiuro, a shooting police allege stemmed from Mr. Ragland's resentment over having been blackballed from a UK fraternity. He has pleaded innocent and remains in jail on a $1 million cash bond.
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