SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Friday was the final day of testimony in a court case that involves a deadly crash that took the lives of two teens in April.
Damion Laurelez was 17 years old when authorities say he slammed an SUV into a Sioux Falls home while going nearly 80 miles per hour. On Friday morning, it was up to the defense to convince the judge that Laurelez should not be tried as an adult.
The defense argued that Laurelez’s actions that morning were not intentional.
In an effort to convince the judge to have the case handled in juvenile court, the defense called a psychologist to the stand. The expert witness told the judge he ran several evaluations on Laurelez. He said it led him to diagnose him with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (O.D.D.). In some cases, he said the disorder can make a person more likely to have criminal-like behaviors.
The defense added that Laurelez had little driving experience and that he tried to brake before the crash.
The state argued that Laurelez getting behind the wheel while using alcohol and drugs was a “reckless disregard of human life.” The prosecution said there’s nothing in the juvenile system that could treat him.
Following the final testimony, the judge decided the case will be held in adult court to protect the public from the now 18-year-old.
The judge also told Laurelez it’s unlikely he’ll be acquitted, based on his resistance to behavioral treatments in the past.
Laurelez is currently being held in the Minnehaha County Jail as he awaits trial.
