Grief Turned to Action After a Devastating Loss
Nearly six years after Theodore High School senior Devinee Rooney was killed in a multi-vehicle crash, her family continues fighting for tougher penalties in Alabama for impaired driving fatalities.
Their efforts have centered on House Bill 243, a piece of legislation that would impose stronger consequences in cases where impaired drivers cause death.
“If this bill had been in effect back when my daughter got killed, we would’ve seen a whole lot more justice,” said Terri Rooney, Devinee’s mother.
Devinee’s life was cut short just days before her graduation from Theodore High School in 2020. She was 18 years old when a crash involving 23-year-old Yaderik Madera-Morales took her life.
According to court testimony at Devinee’s trial, lab tests conducted after the crash detected Xanax and marijuana in Madera-Morales’ system.
A Conviction That Left a Family Searching for Justice
Prosecutors initially charged Madera-Morales with reckless manslaughter, but in 2022, a jury convicted him of the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.
The sentence that followed deepened the family’s frustration with Alabama’s existing penalties for impaired driving deaths.
Under Alabama law, the maximum sentence for criminally negligent homicide allowed Madera-Morales to face only six months in jail. According to Terri Rooney, the actual time served fell short even of that.
“The boy only did actually only four months for killing my daughter,” Terri Rooney said.
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office highlighted a troubling gap in the law during court proceedings.
Prosecutors stated that if Devinee had survived with serious injuries, a first-degree assault charge could have been classified as a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Instead, because Devinee died, her family watched as Madera-Morales received a fraction of that potential sentence.
House Bill 243 Aims to Close the Penalty Gap
Mobile County Representative Margie Wilcox, the bill’s sponsor, says current Alabama law creates an inconsistency in how penalties are applied depending on whether a victim survives or dies.
“Sadly right now in Alabama when you leave the scene of an accident there’s less penalties if someone dies than if someone is injured,” Wilcox said.
House Bill 243 targets these gaps through two key changes in Alabama’s sentencing structure.
- Increased penalties for DUI-related fatalities by eliminating the Class C felony classification and elevating it to a Class B felony when driving under the influence results in death.
- Tougher consequences for leaving the scene of a crash that results in a fatality, addressing the current disparity between penalties for fatal and non-fatal incidents.
“It eliminates the Class C felony when you’re driving under the influence and causing a death. It eliminates the Class C felony and make it a Class B felony,” Wilcox explained.
These proposed changes aim to ensure that the most severe outcomes—the loss of a life—carry the most severe penalties under Alabama law.
Two Families United by Tragedy
The Rooney family is not alone in advocating for House Bill 243. The Holt family has joined the effort after their son, John Wesley Holt, was killed in a hit-and-run in 2023.
In the Holt case, Jasman Johnson pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and was sentenced to five years, split to serve one year behind bars. The outcome reinforced concerns that Alabama’s current penalties do not adequately address the severity of these crimes.
Both families plan to be at the statehouse this week, attending committee meetings and meeting with leadership to provide additional details and push for action on the bill.
“We want to help future victims. That’s the justice we’re looking for. That’s what my daughter would want. My daughter would want for there to be justice for others,” Terri Rooney said.
The Road Ahead for House Bill 243
The path forward for the legislation remains uncertain. According to Representative Wilcox, House Bill 243 did not receive a favorable report in a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, with senators requesting more information before moving forward.
The Rooney and Holt families continue pressing lawmakers for support, turning personal tragedy into a statewide push for reform.
Their presence at the statehouse represents years of advocacy driven by the belief that Alabama’s laws must better reflect the devastating impact of impaired driving fatalities.
Let Justice Roll
When a family loses a loved one to an impaired driver, the consequences extend far beyond criminal proceedings. Families may also have the right to pursue civil action to hold responsible parties accountable.
Our experienced personal injury attorneys here at Baxley Maniscalco understand how devastating car accidents caused by impaired drivers can be, and we’re dedicated to helping Alabama families navigate their legal options during the most difficult time of their lives.
Contact Baxley Maniscalco today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help your family. Have a more immediate personal injury case need? Give us a call at (256) 770-7232.
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