MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – A judge on Thursday granted a request by a teenager accused of causing a fatal drunken driving wreck to be treated as a “youthful offender” – a decision that will limit his possible punishment and hide his records from public view.
The 17-year-old Wilmer resident, Dawson Rogers, is charged with reckless murder in the death of Nolan McDavid. Prosecutors allege that Rogers was drunk and speeding when he crossed the center line on Lott Road in November and struck the 19-year-old University of South Alabama student head-on.
The Youthful Offender Act dates back decades and was intended to shield defendants younger than 21 from the full consequences of a life-altering error in judgment. Judges rarely grant youthful offender requests in high-profile cases, but defense attorney John Beck told FOX10 News that Mobile County Circuit Judge Jill Phillips’ decision was justified…