A Fairfield man serving a 14-year prison sentence in connection with the 2023 DUI-related death of a local teenager has been denied his request to withdraw his guilty plea or have his sentence reduced.
50-year-old Jermey Tucker of Fairfield appeared in Wayne County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon, where his attorney, Roger White, argued that Tucker should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea to DUI causing a death.
White alternatively requested that the court reconsider Tucker’s 14-year prison sentence.
However, Wayne County Circuit Judge Denton Aud denied both requests, leaving Tucker’s conviction and original sentence in place.
The case stems from a 2023 crash south of Fairfield that claimed the life of 15-year-old RE Carter.
Authorities determined Tucker was under the influence of methamphetamine when the oilfield truck he was driving struck Carter’s dirt bike, resulting in the teenager’s death.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Tucker claimed he had been misled into entering his guilty plea, saying he did not understand that related methamphetamine charges could be considered as aggravating factors during sentencing.
Judge Aud rejected that argument and declined to modify the sentence.
Tucker remains incarcerated at the Robinson Correctional Center.
According to the information presented in court, Tucker is not scheduled to become eligible for parole until June 18, 2035.