Blackwell v. State

James Parker Blackwell was convicted by a jury in the Circuit Court for Calvert County of:

1. Murder in the second degree;

2. Manslaughter by motor vehicle;

3. Driving while intoxicated; and

4. Leaving the scene after a fatal accident.

The trial judge sentenced him to 15 years for murder, 3 years for manslaughter, 2 years for driving while intoxicated (second offense) and 6 months for leaving the scene of an accident. The last three sentences were to be consecutive with each other but concurrent with the first.

The evidence indicated that the victim, a teenage girl, was killed while riding her…