Dear Editor,
I would like to extend my gratitude to (former Leader Editor) Brian Kelly for revisiting this case with your recent article in the Port Townsend Leader.
A year ago today I was happily beginning a bicycle tour to Forks and La Push when I was struck by a female driver and left unconscious and bleeding soaked in my own urine in the ditch. She was not only drunk (blowing a .223 at the time of her arrest) but also uninsured which has resulted in untold hours of stress in dealing with my insurance to rectify the 44,000 plus in attendant medical costs her actions caused.
I also continue to pay for ongoing treatment. As you noted in your article this case stretches back for months. This is largely due to continuance after continuance being allowed by the court. The most recently scheduled sentencing date of July 14 has yet again been continued to September 15.
Meanwhile the driver has remained free and without consequence for what will be over a year by the time of the next scheduled court date. I would have hoped for a conviction by this time so that I could find some closure and hopefully start to move mental away from this assault but as I was told last August by a Washington State Trooper "don't expect justice in this through the court system" and this statement has thus far proven to be spot on as the "system" in Washington is as Jefferson County Chief Deputy Prosecutor AshCraft stated in an email "defendant centered.”
Which means, in other words, that the state does not prioritize the safety of its citizens or respect the rights of victims but rather choses to marginalize them in lieu of moly-coddling criminals which only leads to increased criminal behavior and consequently increasingly unsafe conditions for the average person. Again I would like to thank you,
Sincerely,
Keri Fezzey