Manslaughter Sentence: 10 years of going to church

By: Barry Leibowitz
Topics: Daily Blotter

Attending church is part of the "punishment" for an Oklahoma teenager who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a fatal drunk-driving crash.

/ AP Graphics

(CBS/AP) MUSKOGEE, Okla. - In the category of alternative sentencing, you can now add "going to church."

A judge sentenced 17-year-old Tyler Alred, of Muskogee, Okla., to attend church for 10 years as part of his probation, for a manslaughter conviction stemming from a drunk-driving crash.

Alred was sentenced a week ago Tuesday in Muskogee County District Court after pleading guilty in August to first-degree manslaughter in the December 2011 auto accident that killed 16-year-old John Luke Dum.

Alred cried while apologizing to Dum's family in court and hugged Dum's father as both began to sob.

Authorities say Alred registered 0.06 and 0.07 blood-alcohol content after the crash. The legal limit is 0.08 - but under Oklahoma law Alred's amount is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol because he's underage.

Defense attorney Donn Baker said the church requirement is unusual - but he won't challenge it and that Alred currently attends church regularly.

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