Criminal Vehicular Homicide Charges Expected:Doctor Killed in Wright Co. Motorcycle-Golf Cart Crash

Criminal vehicular homicide charges are expected in the death of Eric Lefebvre. He was killed in Wright Co., MN when Korie Schiel hit him when Schiel was on his golf cart, a low-powered vehicle. Lefebvre was an obstetrician and gynecologist in Buffalo and Monticello. He was wearing a helmet at the time he was hit on his motorcycle. He had four children and a wife. Schiel was not seriously inured.

Schiel was illegally driving his golf cart on a public road not attached to a golf course. Low-powered vehicles, such as golf carts, are not allowed on roads with motor vehicles. Schiel has two DWI convictions, a driving without a valid license ticket, a careless driving conviction, and speeding tickets on his record. Schiel was trying to make a left turn into a driveway, but crashed into Lefebvre in the southbound lane. Residents in the neighborhood say that many people use golf carts to get around their homes and to get to the lakes. In Minnesota, driving drunk and causing a death of another through a Minnesota DWI accident constitutes the crime of Criminal Vehicular Homicide or Operation (CVH/CVO).  The presumptive sentence in the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines for Criminal Vehicular Homicide is 48 months in prison, assuming no prior felony convictions.

The investigation is still ongoing and the Wright County Attorney’s office has not yet filed charges. Schiel will need an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney to handle his case. If you have been involved in a crime and have not yet been charged, it is still important to retain an attorney NOW. Max A. Keller is frequently retained by individuals on a pre-charge basis, BEFORE they have been charged with any crime, like criminal vehicular homicide. Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys will notify the police or charging agency that counsel now represents the individual. The police and prosecutor will be told that all communication and correspondences should go through our firm. This ensures that the individual does not make any statements that will later harm the case. In some cases it is even possible to contact the charging agency, which sometimes leads to charges never being filed at all. Max A. Keller is experienced in dealing with cases beginning at the pre-charge stage. Contact Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys immediately if you need a Minnesota defense attorney in relation to an Minnesota accident  or Minnesota criminal vehicular homicide or criminal vehicular operation regarding a motor vehicle or low-powered vehicle where someone has been killed or injured.

Max Keller has won countless jury trial cases involving misdemeanors and felonies, sex crimes, and DWI’s. He is a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, which only allows the top 50 criminal defense attorneys in the state as members. Max is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

Years of Experience: Approx. 20 years
Minnesota Registration Status: Active
Bar & Court Admissions: State of Minnesota Minnesota State Court Minnesota Federal Court 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals State of Maryland

What to Do If You Have Been Charged with a Criminal Offense

Minnesota recently passed a public safety bill that brings sweeping changes to the state’s juvenile justice system. While minors sometimes run afoul of the law, the juvenile justice system seeks to account for the differences between children and adults. Therefore, while the penalties for adults convicted of crimes focus on punishment, those for juveniles are aimed at diversion and restorative practices.
If a county medical examiner’s work is called into question in one case, it can affect all those they were a part of. An independent review is underway of murder cases involving the testimony of the long-time medical examiner in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The review comes in response to a wrongful murder conviction that was recently vacated on the basis that the medical examiner gave flawed medical testimony.
You might ask how plea bargains work if you are considering settling your criminal case by skipping the trial phase. A plea bargain in Minneapolis, MN, happens when a criminal defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest instead of having the prosecution prove his or her guilt at trial. The prosecution agrees to reduce the charges, recommend less harsh penalties, or drop the charges altogether in exchange for a guilty plea.