Sentence Cut For Man Convicted Of Deadly Hit And Run

Wednesday, June 13th 2007, 8:20 pm

By: News On 6

A convicted killer is getting out of prison sooner than expected. Last year, a judge sentenced Norman Stephens to eight years in prison for the hit and run death of a father of three. The Newman family has spent almost two years without Daniel Paul Newman. For them it's a life sentence, but the man convicted of taking Newman away from them will spend only three years behind bars.

A judge reviewed the case and has cut Norman Stephens' sentence from eight years total to three years in prison and three years probation. The year he's spent locked up counts toward that sentence. A jury found Stephens guilty of the November 2005 hit and run death of Daniel Paul. The crime happened the night before Thanksgiving.

Newman, his wife, and three children ran out of gas along Keystone Expressway. Newman was holding his 2-year-old daughter when Stephens hit him and kept going. He died instantly, but his daughter survived.

Stephens maintained he never saw Newman, but Assistant DA Julie Doss says there's overwhelming evidence that he knew exactly what he'd done.

Doss tells us the reduced sentence is a disappointment, especially since a judicial review report recommended at least four years in prison and four years probation.

Watch the video: Convicted Killer Gets His Sentence Shortened