State v. Barstad

James B. Barstad killed two young women when he sped through a red light at a busy intersection in Spokane on the evening of May 25, 1996. Other motorists testified that in the moments before the fatal collisions, they witnessed him drive over the lawn of a private business, run another red light, and gesture angrily at them. Mr. Barstad explained his driving was affected by the emotional state produced by the large amount of alcohol he consumed that day and a fight with a girl friend. The State charged Mr. Barstad with two counts of first degree murder under the part of the statute that…