Former Yankee Leyritz Acquitted of DUI Manslaughter

A Fort Lauderdale jury acquitted former major league baseball player Jim Leyritz of DUI manslaughter last week. Leyritz had faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter, charges stemming from a 2007 crash that killed a 30-year-old mother of two.

Acquitted of manslaughter, Leyritz was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

Leyritz’s blood-alcohol level was 0.14 percent three hours after the crash. Defense experts testified that it may have actually been below 0.08 percent when the crash occurred though. Under Florida law, 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level is presumptive for intoxication.

Testimony was inconclusive on whether Leyritz ran a red light on Dec. 28, 2007, when he collided with a vehicle driven by Fredia Ann Veitch, who died.

Leyritz played major league baseball for 11 seasons, including for the New York Yankees.

On the night of the crash, Leyritz had been out celebrating his birthday. Veitch had a blood-alcohol level twice Florida’s limit, according to trial testimony.

Two witnesses testified that Veitch had the green light at an intersection before Leyritz’s Ford Expedition hit her vehicle, causing a rollover crash that ejected her onto the pavement. Under cross-examination by Leyritz’s defense attorney, those witnesses were less sure whether Leyritz’s light was red or yellow.

Defense expert witnesses also said Veitch’s lights may have been off and that Leyritz did not appear to be speeding. The defense experts also questioned the reliability of Leyritz’s blood tests, suggesting he may have suffered a slight concussion that caused his body to absorb alcohol more slowly.

Prosecutors argued that Leyritz was drunk and couldn’t react to the traffic light, having consumed the equivalent of between 11 and 12 shots of liquor in the three hours before the crash, which happened around 3 a.m.

Florida law provides for a DUI manslaughter conviction when a person’s actions either caused or contributed to the cause of someone else’s death. The DUI conviction suggests that the jury believed Leyritz was impaired but did not believe that prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that his actions caused Veitch’s death.