Riverside Man Gets Four Years in Drunken-Driving Death

This case hits home with me, as it happened in my hometown.. Just like Martha Moxley, Matthew Margolies, and the two librarians killed by a drunk driver.

GREENWICH-A Riverside man was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday for an October 2008 drunken-driving accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio of Greenwich.

At state Superior Court, Judge Richard Comerford listened to impassioned pleas from Borselio's family to sentence Douglas Moore, 25, to the maximum jail time he could receive.

"It's outrageous to me," said Kayla Borselio, Joseph Borselio's older sister of the accident. "I wonder how someone can engage in such irresponsible drinking and take away someone that was completely happy with their life," she said while sobbing.

Borselio's father Louis Borselio spoke solemnly about fond memories of his son, such as how well he could play the drums and how kind he was to other children in school.

"There are a lot of things he could have been in his life," said Louis Borselio.

Borselio's grandfather and uncle also spoke and the attorney for the family read a letter from Borselio's mother, who had to leave the room briefly at one point after being overcome with emotion. "This was no accident," wrote Borselio's mother Jessica Lewis in the letter. "Joey was doing nothing wrong."

Moore's attorney, Philip Russell, asked the judge to consider imposing the minimum sentence. He pointed to a letter written by Moore that expressed his feelings of regret over the accident.

"What hasn't been said is that Douglas Moore is terribly sorry and he has done nothing but express his remorse," said Russell, who told the court Moore had completely quit drinking since the accident.

Moore could have received between two and six years in prison for the Oct. 5, 2008, accident on Sheephill Road in which he struck Borselio, who was riding a bicycle. Borselio was pronounced dead at the scene. Prosecutors said Moore tried to leave the scene.

Comerford called the sentencing decision agonizing, but said that "justice has to be tempered by mercy."

"We are dealing with two good people here," Comerford said. "One is lost forever and another will be crossing into the rings of hell for a period of time, if he ever escapes those walls. I wouldn't want that on my conscience."

Moore did not speak during the proceedings, but looked back once before being taken away in handcuffs with tears streaming down his face.

Stamford defense attorney Mark Sherman said Moore's sentence was standard for this type of case.

"The sentence doesn't surprise me," Sherman said. "The criminal system has made it very clear that it has zero tolerance for someone who is drunk, gets behind the wheel and kills somebody."

Upon his release, Moore will be subject to three years of probation, community service and will partake in a victims' impact panel. The Borselio family also is pursuing a civil suit against Moore and Dave & Buster's in West Nyack, N.Y., where Moore was drinking the night of the accident.

"We have an active civil suit," said Bridgeport attorney Michael Stratton who said that Moore was drinking beers and shots for five hours before driving home.

Borselio's family said after the hearing they were disappointed with the lighter sentence and the way the justice system handles drunken driving in the state.

"I never knew that the sentences were so short," said Louis Borselio. "The system has to change. A lot has to change."

Borselio's grandmother said no matter the sentence, nothing will ever fill the void her grandson's death has created.

"I don't know what to say," said Borselio's grandmother Brigida Borselio. "I have to believe in the system. We miss him everyday."
-------------------------------------------------------------

Brigida worked at my elementary school and was a very nice lady, friends with my grandmother and very caring/loving towards me. My thoughts are with their family.