Drunk Driver Sentenced to Eight Years

The only solution is don't drink ANY alcohol before driving.

I highly douby if Robertson intended to kill anyone. Little doubt he thought beforehand that he felt fine and went ahead and did it.

The point is that people cannot judge their own sobriety after they'be been drinking or taking medication so even though you THINK you're O.K,. you are not.

A few years ago I was given some medication at the hospital and told NOT to drive home. I took the advice and got a ride home. On the way my friend called me and we talked. I felt completely normal and even right now remember the day clearly. The next day he told me my voice sounded slurred. THAT proves how insidious drugs/alcohol can be.

Here is yet another example of someone who went ahead and drove anyway and he's ruined a number of lives including his own.

Thank you for reporting on the sentencing and the families' comments. But I do have a question. Where were the driver and passengers from? Were they locals?

I have a question too!

What's their citizenship status? Were they illegals?

Check the Judge -- where his residency card? Maybe the defense attorney should be looked into! Green cards for everyone!!

[as an aside, what a profound tragedy is our justice system, whereby this drunken manslaughter case gets the perpetrator 8 years...

another person receives three years...

http://independent.com/news/2008/may/13/...

and yet another get 5 months ... ]

http://www.independent.com/news/2007/dec...

Of course the huge shame is the way the whole tragedy could be avoided, as Mr. Clausen points out.

Okay Binky, those opening comments have NO relevance...and pretty much make it so the rest of your post is not worth reading. Not sure why you would ruin your own credibility so quickly by doing that but oh well, it's how it goes with free speech!

It is very sad and the punishment is what it is. His actions killed two people, physically and emotionally damaged several others and he is paying a high price for it. I feel sad for everyone involved, including the driver who made this terrible decision to drink & drive and in turn, lost his fiancee, a friend, his freedom and his future. The natural consequences are more severe than the sentence and an example to the rest of us.

For the person who asked, Beau Robertson and Sara Pezzimenti were from Palo Alto, Kelly Ruiz was from Mountain View. They were staying at a house in Montecito, which led them to the San Ysidro overpass. I knew all the people involved in this horrible tragedy, and, in spite of Robertson's letter, this was very characteristic behavior for him - I personally know 3 people, two of them my children, who have witnessed his drunk and reckless driving. This car was the third he had wrecked due to excessive speed. Although his time in prison will not bring Sara or Kelly back to us, I sincerely hope it will serve as a deterrent to others who are contemplating driving, drinking, and planning to drive home. It's not worth it! You might kill people you love, as well as others, and spend years in prison. Additionally, the lives of those who loved your victims, and who love you, will NEVER be the same again.

That's pretty scary smpath! I feel less sympathy for him knowing how habitual it was and that he hadn't learned from his previous experiences! :(

santabarbarasand: Knowing what I do about Binky, I think he/she was taking a tongue-in-cheek swipe at those who obsess about the legal status of criminals and who are quick to assume everyone who commits a crime must be an illegal alien. (Clearly with the surnames they have it's highly unlikely they are illegal immigrants)

In short, while I should not speak for Binky, I think it's safe to say that he/she is on our side per this very avoidable tragedy.

May I add as an aside that the all-booze-all-the-time culture certainly doesn't help in these matters. It seems that just about any time there is event, out comes the booze. Then of course, there is the endless stream of bars in downtown S.B.

Thanks Bill, I was wondering if it was sarcasm or just idiocy. I read it again and I can see the sarcasm. Unfortunately too many ask those questions so even doing it jokingly is a turn off for me!

Alcohol is certainly used to celebrate things and Santa Barbara, with our bars/clubs and our love of wine, does provide a culture that promotes drinking. However, so does the college culture and others. None of those involved were locals and all were old enough to know better than to drink & get behind the wheel. Unfortunately this happens frequently all around the world and people die from it.

In Europe alcohol is a part of dinner for many families and they do not withhold it from youth the way that we do. This doesn't give parents the opportunity to teach their children the pros & cons of alcohol before sending them out into the world. Our laws make it taboo for parents to give their under 21 children anything alcoholic and that just adds to the attraction in my opinion.

When my son was 14 we went to Europe and I had decided ahead of time that if alcohol with meals is part of the culture that I would allow him to participate. In England we went to a Christening and afterwards the entire family, children & all, went to a local pub for dinner and drinks to celebrate. My son was offered alcohol in the bar and I allowed him to have a drink. In Paris they served wine with meals and he participated. He did get a buzz during these events but I monitored him. They feel there that teaching their children about the health benefits and the responsibilities involved with drinking are just as important as teaching them to care for their credit. In turn, alcohol is not so taboo, fascinating or as deadly as it is here. There are still people who abuse it or drink & drive but it is simply not the same. We send our kids to college where alcohol is plentiful and parents aren't there to observe, protect or instruct. Then we freak out when there are DUI's and people get killed or when we see the statistics of college students suffering or dying from alcohol poisoning!

I don't think that alcohol is the problem, I think the problem is that there needs to be more education that this legal drug can be just as dangerous, if not more, than the illegal drugs we warn our children to avoid. This doesn't apply so much to this particular case because the driver was well over the drinking age but maybe if our culture viewed drinking differently there would be less alcoholics and irresponsible drinkers.

I am Kelly's Aunt, and I spoke at the hearing. I want to thank all who posted a comment to this article and shared your views on drinking and driving as well as your sympathy for our loss. In our letters to Judge Eskin we asked for Justice, not vengence. I don't think that justice was served and that 8 years was not enough, he will be out in 7. The penalty needs to be stiffer for this type of crime. He submitted an apology to the Court and to the Pezzimenti family but never to us. It would not have changed our feelings about his sentence but it would have helped the healing process. I doubt that Mr. Robertson will ever change the behaviors that got him to where he is today. Thank you "sympath" for letting us know that he was not the saint he convinced his friends and the Pezzmimenti's he portrayed to be.

Hello im beau robertson,s brother and just to let it be known that he got all those letters cause they speak the truth. He didn't have to convince anyone about anything he is a great person and all those comments about him being in previous accidents and drunk driving are all false. I know the truth i grew up with him,so stop making comments about people when they are not true. It makes you all look so bad. Lots of people know the truth about all three people in the accident common now!

BO JANGLES MSP4EVER P.A.

Beau is a really good guy who made a tragic mistake - and he knows it. Stop making up lies about him -- I've known him my whole life and drinking and driving is NOT something he did all the time. Kelly's family - I can't even imagine what you're going through - but making up lies about Beau, isn't going to bring Kelly or Sara back. Beau is a man that pled guilty knowing that he made a horrible mistake and he wanted to be punished for it. He may be in jail, but that is just one portion of his punishment. Not a day goes by when Beau doesn't regret his decision to drive that night and if he could trade places with those girls he would. All he feels is remorse - so don't even try to say he isn't remorseful. He wrote a letter to both the Ruiz and Pezzimenti family and the judge read it at the hearing.

Reveange is not the way to go about this...

To So Sad,

We too which he could trade places with Kelly. And no, you cannot image what we are going through . Our family did not seek revenge only justice which we feel was not served. To call our family liars only reflects what type of friends Beau surrounds himself with and hence, I can now understand your accusatory comments in his defense. We know what type of person he is and that he only pled out so that so many facts would not come out in trial. Even the judge was astounded that an apology was issued to Sara's family but never to Kelly's. You can say whatever you want in this public forum to make Beau Robertson look better than he is, but our family knows the truth. So if you are as sympathetic to our loss as you claim, why don't you show that and let our family grieve.

I am sure you can show your support to Mr. Robertson when you visit him in prison over the course of the next 8 years.

I am very sympathetic to you and your family. This is a public forum and Beau is being portrayed inaccurately. I am one of Beau's family members and I know the real facts of that horrible night . I understand that you are grieving and I'm not trying to interfere with that, but you don't seem to know the truth. He didn't want to go trial, because he didn't want to put your family and Sara's family through that and that is why he took the offer. I will show my support for Beau because I know the man he is .... and will continue too, but this is my last response. I know you're grieving - so I will let you do so.

Once again I am very sorry for your loss...