Judge deviates from jury recommendation
Jul. 17—A Pittsburg County judge told a McAlester man found guilty on four counts of manslaughter that he would be "an old man" when he got out of prison during a Wednesday sentencing hearing.
"You're going to be an old man when you get out of prison," Pittsburg County District Judge Mike Hogan told Javen Springs during his Wednesday sentencing hearing. "I don't want you driving around again until you figure out you can't do that. No more lives, you can't take any more lives."
A Pittsburg County jury in May deliberated for less than 15 minutes before finding Springs guilty on four counts of first-degree manslaughter.
Springs, 37, was charged with four counts of first-degree manslaughter in January 2022 for the September 2021 deaths of Meghan D. Ransome, 30; Christopher B. Carrion, 30; a 13-year-old boy; and a 14-year-old boy.
According to Oklahoma law, a homicide is manslaughter in the first degree "when perpetrated without a design to effect death by a person while engaged in the commission of a misdemeanor."
The charges filed against Springs allege the man was driving a 2019 Genesis G-70 with a suspended driver's license, a misdemeanor, on Sept. 12, 2021.
Troopers said in a press-release sent following the accident that the 2019 Genesis was traveling westbound on SH-31A when it departed the highway to the right and struck a tree before rolling one and a half times and landing on its top before catching on fire.
The report states Ransome, Carrion, and the two children were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Springs was transported by medical helicopter to a Tulsa hospital with internal injuries, according to the report.
According to the press release, seatbelts were "equipped; not in use by all."
The jury recommended Springs to serve 20 years in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for each count with all sentences to run concurrently.
Hogan deviated from the jury's recommendation and sentenced Springs to serve 20 years in prison for count one, with 10 of the 20 years for count two to be served consecutively with count one, meaning Javen is to serve a total of 30 years in prison. The remaining sentence is to be served concurrently with the prison sentence.
The judge said he made the deviation based on Springs' past criminal history, the impact caused to the victim's family, the fact that no other person tested positive for drugs or alcohol, and the overwhelming evidence in the case against Springs.
Hogan said the jury's recommendation wasn't sufficient enough for the crimes that were committed and said it was a "senseless accident that shouldn't have happened."
Before giving his sentence, Hogan heard from family members of two of the four victims.
Marilyn Carrison, the mother of Christopher Carrison, said the pain of losing her son was "indescribable" and that simple pleasures such as birthdays and holidays are "marred by the absence of his laughter and warm and loving presence."
"The most agonizing aspect of this tragedy is knowing that Javen Springs made a conscious choice that day," Marilyn Carrison said. "He chose to drive irresponsibly while under the influence that took the lives of four young precious individuals."
Cassandra Martin-Jones, said her family's life will never be the same after the loss of her 14-year-old son, Matthew Cable.
"My son will never get to go to his first dance at school, will never get married. He always wanted to be a daddy, he'll never get to do that," Martin-Jones said. "I can't see him graduate. I'll never get to look at his face again."
Oklahoma state law states Springs will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
