A Sioux Falls woman who ran over a State Trooper almost three years ago wanted her sentence reduced. That request was denied.

On Thursday, the South Dakota Supreme Court issued a decision asserting that Rachel Lee Coleman’s time in prison fits the crime that she committed. Attorney General Marty Jackley made the announcement via press release.

To refresh your memory, on October 17, 2012, South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Andrew Steen attempted to initiate a vehicle stop, but Coleman refused to stop and a high speed pursuit ensued. The incident escalated resulting in the Trooper being hit by Coleman’s vehicle.

Coleman’s blood alcohol content was approximately 0.26% at the time of her arrest. Trooper Steen received life-threatening injuries, including multiple skull fractures, a traumatic brain injury and a broken ankle. Trooper Steen spent two months in the hospital recovering from those injuries.

In January 2014, Coleman pled guilty to aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, driving while under the influence. Coleman also confessed to allegations that she had been convicted of three prior DUI offenses in the last ten years.

The Court was clear in rejecting Coleman’s argument that a sentence of 42.5 years was excessive. Coleman’s decision to ignore her alcohol addiction despite three prior DUI convictions placed the public at risk and forever altered the course of Trooper Steen’s life and her own. In conclusion, the Court surmises that a severe sentence does not in and of itself constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

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