FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2020
For media inquiries only, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds
Murder Conviction in Montgomery County
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed on Friday the convictions of Ladarius Orlando Laffitte, 30, for reckless murder and two counts of first-degree assault. Laffitte was convicted in Montgomery County Circuit Court on September 25, 2019, for the reckless murder of Ashley Perkins and first-degree assault for the injuries he inflicted upon Richard Smith and Terri Dawkins, themother of Ashley Perkins.
The evidence at trial showed that on May 14, 2017, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Laffitte was drag racing on Vaughn Road in Montgomery when he hit the victims’ vehicle as they were making a turn into a gas station. It was later determined that Laffitte was driving 144 mph two seconds before he hit the victims’ vehicle, splitting it in two and killing Perkins almost instantly and inflicting serious injuries on the other passengers. Furthermore, evidence at trial indicated that not only was Laffitte driving almost 100 mph over the speed limit, he also did not have his headlights on at the time the incident occurred.
Montgomery County District Attorney Darryl Bailey’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained the guilty verdicts. Laffitte was sentenced to 139 years total imprisonment for his three convictions. Laffitte sought to have his convictions reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Laffitte’s convictions. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, October 9, 2020. Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General John Davis for his successful work on this case and thanked the Montgomery Police Department and District Attorney Darryl Bailey and his staff for their valuable assistance in defending these convictions.
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