Photo: Youtube / Twitter
The trophy is being called unprofessional.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Dec 22, 2021
The Colorado prosecutor who helped convict a 26-year-old truck driver to a 110-year prison sentence is facing hoards of criticism after showing off a brake shoe she was gifted.
Kayla Wildeman, a Jefferson County deputy district attorney, shared a photo of the “trophy,” which was a brake shoe from a semi-truck with the case number and her name printed on a placard.
The photo had been shared to her personal Facebook page, but has since been deleted.
The prosecutor received the brake shoe as 'memento' for the conviction of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos.
“Get yourself a trial partner as great as Trevor Moritzky,” Wileman had captioned the photo. “He turned a brake shoe from a semi truck into a memento. What a special gift from truly a special person.”
“I sure am grateful this trial brought you into my career as both a colleague and a friend,” Wildeman continued.
Wildeman and Moritzky had worked together in the prosecution of truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos, 26, who said his brakes had failed during a 2019 crash that killed four people.
Aguilera-Mederos was convicted of 27 counts in October, and at his December 13 sentencing, Jefferson County District Judge A. Bruce Jones said the state law required the sentences to be served consecutively, leading to a 110-year prison term.
The district attorney for the first judicial district, Alexis King, claimed that they had addressed the matter internally, and that the brake shoe was “not a piece of evidence from the case.”
“The post was in very poor taste and does not reflect the values of my administration,” King said, according to KUSA.
James Colgan, the defense attorney for Aguilera-Mederos told the Denver Post that the trophy was unprofessional and that “lives are ruined all around and they celebrate.”
Aguilera-Mederos' attorney also called for disciplinary action against the prosecutors.
“To make any kind of mockery or behave as if this was a ball game of winning and losing is an outrage,” Leonard Martinez, one of Aguilera-Mederos' attorneys, said. “This was about four people losing their lives and another person facing the prospect of a 110-year prison sentence.”
The 110-year sentence has become widely criticized by many with calls for a reduction.
More than 4.6 million people have signed a petition asking Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to commute the sentence or grant Aguilera-Mederos clemency.
Aguilera-Mederos had testified that he never decided to go towards traffic but that he had tried to use a space between the truck and the car next to it on the left.
At his sentencing, he tearfully called the crash a terrible accident, saying, “I’m begging for forgiveness from everyone involved.”
Among those urging the governor to change the ruling is Kim Kardashian, who tweeted that Aguilera-Mederos' long prison sentence was “unfair.”
“I know everyone has been posting about Rogel Aguilera-Mederos this week. I took a deep dive in it to figure out what the situation is,” Kardashian wrote.
Kardashian also expressed outrage over the prosecutor posting about the brake shoe plaque.
“Another shocking part of the case is this post by the prosecutor after his conviction. Four people died in this tragic accident. Rogel has a life sentence for the accident, which will not only destroy his life, but it will also impact his wife and son’s life.”
"For some reason the prosecutor thought it would be funny to post a photo of a brake shoe trophy she received from a colleague with a plaque?" Kardashian continued. "Makes me so sick."
Since the outcry over the harsh sentencing, a Colorado district attorney has moved for a hearing to examine whether the prison term for Aguilera-Mederos should stand.
“We just received Rogel Aguilera-Mederos’ application, and our legal team is currently reviewing it. Once we reach a decision, we will make an announcement,” a spokesperson for Polis said.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.