Driver in Fatal Northwestern School Bus Crash Seeks New Trial in Different Venue

Springfield: So, there’s this driver, Hermanio Joseph, who was found guilty last year for a crash that killed a kid and hurt a bunch of others. He’s now asking for a new trial. His lawyer says the original trial wasn’t fair because they didn’t change the venue, which could have helped him get a more impartial jury.

Joseph’s attorney, R. Jessica Manungo, argues that the jurors were biased, especially one who had some pretty strong opinions about Haitian immigrants. She claims this juror talked about the case with her granddaughter, who worked at the school involved. That’s a big deal because it could have influenced the jury’s decision.

During the trial, Joseph said he had a Mexican driver’s license but no Ohio license, which he didn’t get because he lacked the right documents. He was sentenced to 9 to 13.5 years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide.

The prosecutor, Robert Logsdon, argues that Joseph’s team didn’t bring up enough evidence about media coverage during the trial, so they can’t use that in the appeal. It’s a complicated situation, and it’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds.