Former Sacramento Police Officer Jason March pleaded no contest Monday to charges of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence and felony hit and run, more than a year after he -- while drunk -- struck and killed a 13-year-old boy who had just stepped off a school bus in Elk Grove.
The plea, which could bring a five-year prison sentence, arrived a day before trial was set to begin in a case that sparked widespread outrage and continues to reverberate within the Sacramento Police Department, where March had worked patrol for nearly three years.
March was off-duty and had been drinking before he drove along Bilby Road in rural Elk Grove on May 31, 2005. He struck Michael Ramirez, a seventh-grader at Harriet Eddy Middle School, who was crossing the street to fetch his scooter.
March then sped away, according to witnesses, leaving the boy's body near the road. When he was arrested, his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
On Monday, March, 30, who remained free on bond, arrived in court in a business suit and delivered the plea, which had been in the works for a week, said Deputy District Attorney Don Steed. March is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 3 for sentencing.
Calls to March's defense attorney, Chris Wing, were not returned Monday. Efforts to reach March, who had been stripped of his badge and fired last July, were also unsuccessful.
At police headquarters, Chief Albert Nájera said he hopes residents will realize that tragedy can happen to anyone with a lapse in judgment. He has used the case among his officers in reviewing and revamping the department's drinking prevention programs.
"I think it's important that we not forget -- not necessarily what happened to Jason -- but what happened to Michael," Nájera said.
Nájera said he often drives along Bilby Road and will slow down to look at the memorial site for Michael.
"It still hurts that this incident occurred," he said. "That's the part that bothered me the most. It was one of our own that was responsible."
At the Ramirez family home, less than two miles from where Michael was killed, a school picture of the brown-eyed boy dominates the living room and is surrounded by other photographs of him in his baseball uniform.
His parents, David and Danielle Ramirez, who were told of the plea before the hearing, said they found some measure of relief that they would not have to relive in court the tragedy that occurred in May 2005.
"All of the children have already been through too much," Danielle Ramirez said of her son's classmates who witnessed his death. "We couldn't see having them come in and testify."
Both parents said they learned that if the case had gone to trial, the most prison time March could have faced was six years and eight months.
"I don't think we got over that shock," David Ramirez said. "Today was more of the same."
The case triggered outrage last year when March was initially charged with a single felony count of hit-and-run, leading members of the Ramirez family and the community to allege March was getting favorable treatment because he was an officer.
Additional counts of vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving were later added against March.
But the drunken driving charge, the lesser count, was ultimately a part of the vehicular manslaughter charge March pleaded to, attorneys said.
Despite the legal maneuvering and their experiences with the court, Michael's mother and father expect to be back there next month to see March sentenced.
But, every day, they know what they lost.
"What is justice?" the mother asked. "Even if he had served life in prison, it wouldn't bring Michael back; it would be the same result: Michael's not here."
The plea, which could bring a five-year prison sentence, arrived a day before trial was set to begin in a case that sparked widespread outrage and continues to reverberate within the Sacramento Police Department, where March had worked patrol for nearly three years.
March was off-duty and had been drinking before he drove along Bilby Road in rural Elk Grove on May 31, 2005. He struck Michael Ramirez, a seventh-grader at Harriet Eddy Middle School, who was crossing the street to fetch his scooter.
March then sped away, according to witnesses, leaving the boy's body near the road. When he was arrested, his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
On Monday, March, 30, who remained free on bond, arrived in court in a business suit and delivered the plea, which had been in the works for a week, said Deputy District Attorney Don Steed. March is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 3 for sentencing.
Calls to March's defense attorney, Chris Wing, were not returned Monday. Efforts to reach March, who had been stripped of his badge and fired last July, were also unsuccessful.
At police headquarters, Chief Albert Nájera said he hopes residents will realize that tragedy can happen to anyone with a lapse in judgment. He has used the case among his officers in reviewing and revamping the department's drinking prevention programs.
"I think it's important that we not forget -- not necessarily what happened to Jason -- but what happened to Michael," Nájera said.
Nájera said he often drives along Bilby Road and will slow down to look at the memorial site for Michael.
"It still hurts that this incident occurred," he said. "That's the part that bothered me the most. It was one of our own that was responsible."
At the Ramirez family home, less than two miles from where Michael was killed, a school picture of the brown-eyed boy dominates the living room and is surrounded by other photographs of him in his baseball uniform.
His parents, David and Danielle Ramirez, who were told of the plea before the hearing, said they found some measure of relief that they would not have to relive in court the tragedy that occurred in May 2005.
"All of the children have already been through too much," Danielle Ramirez said of her son's classmates who witnessed his death. "We couldn't see having them come in and testify."
Both parents said they learned that if the case had gone to trial, the most prison time March could have faced was six years and eight months.
"I don't think we got over that shock," David Ramirez said. "Today was more of the same."
The case triggered outrage last year when March was initially charged with a single felony count of hit-and-run, leading members of the Ramirez family and the community to allege March was getting favorable treatment because he was an officer.
Additional counts of vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving were later added against March.
But the drunken driving charge, the lesser count, was ultimately a part of the vehicular manslaughter charge March pleaded to, attorneys said.
Despite the legal maneuvering and their experiences with the court, Michael's mother and father expect to be back there next month to see March sentenced.
But, every day, they know what they lost.
"What is justice?" the mother asked. "Even if he had served life in prison, it wouldn't bring Michael back; it would be the same result: Michael's not here."
