FARMINGTON — A District Court judge Tuesday appointed attorneys to represent a Kingfield woman and a Rumford man in separate fatal drunken-driving cases.
Judge Nancy Carlson appointed Lewiston attorney Jesse Archer to represent Danielle M. Larochelle, 30, of Kingfield, and South Paris attorney Jeffrey Wilson to represent Ethyn Buotte, 18, of Rumford.
Larochelle did not enter a plea to a felony charge of operating under the influence of alcohol resulting in death.
Buotte also did not enter a plea to felony aggravated operating under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The cases are expected to go to the next grand jury, and if charges are brought the defendants would return to court to enter pleas.
In Larochelle’s case, she was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Aveo on West Kingfield Road in Kingfield at about 10:10 p.m. July 8 when the vehicle left the road and struck trees. One of her three passengers, Nicholas Shurtleff, 25, of Strong was ejected from the car and died at the scene, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy arrested Larochelle in August after a test showed her blood-alcohol content was 0.219 percent, which is nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
In Buotte’s case, he was driving a car at about 11:30 p.m. May 31 on West Side Road in Weld when the car hit a tree and rolled over, according to Maine State Police.
Griffyn Smith, 19, of Dixfield, a back-seat passenger in the 2005 Toyota Corolla, died at the scene.
Maine State Police arrested Buotte in July.
His blood-alcohol content was 0.138 percent, according to police.
The blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21 years old is zero percent.
Reconstruction specialist Michael Pion concluded that Buotte’s car was traveling at 71 mph in a 35-mph zone when it crashed, according to police.
Larochelle remains free on $1,000 cash bail.
Buotte is free on $2,500 cash bail.
Conferences on the status of both cases are scheduled Nov. 7 at Franklin County Superior Court, Carlson said.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
Ethyn Buotte (Franklin County Detention Center)
Danielle Larochelle (Franklin County Detention Center)
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