Dunaway Delays Entering Plea

Kaitlyn Dunaway, the teen  in a Rohnert Park crosswalk while allegedly speeding and sending a text message on her cellphone delayed entering a plea this morning in Sonoma County Superior
Court.

Kaitlyn Dunaway, 18, of Rohnert Park, is charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for the .

The complaint alleges that she , driving at an unsafe speed for the conditions and failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Dunaway's 1997 Honda struck Calli and her mother, Ling Murray, in a crosswalk on Snyder Lane on Dec. 1. Ling Murray survived, was hospitalized until mid-March and is continuing physical rehabilitation.

Dunaway's attorney, Chris Andrian, asked Judge Bradford DeMeo to delay Dunaway's plea entry until June 16. DeMeo granted the request.

Outside the courtroom after the arraignment, Andrian said that Dunaway, a Sonoma State University student, is prepared to admit guilt and accept responsibility.

"She said, 'I can't go in there and say I didn't do this,'" Andrian said.

Andrian said he told Dunaway he is obligated to review reports about the incident before she enters a plea.

"Her position is she has an overwhelming desire to admit responsibility," Andrian said. He said she was "devastated" by the incident.

"This is a good young girl, an absolute sweetheart. She's as remorseful as can be," Andrian said.

He said the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that only one of the three alleged driving violations was the "proximate cause" of the accident, and that the district attorney's office made the right decision in filing a misdemeanor, rather than a felony, vehicular manslaughter charge.

"This case is about negligence," Andrian said.

Andrian said that if the case is settled before trial, he hopes Dunaway will be given the opportunity to speak about the dangers of using cellphones while driving.

"This is not a 'kids' issue;' this is endemic," Andrian said.

Editor's note, posted Sunday, Sept. 25. It has come to Patch's attention that use of a previously published photo of Kaitlyn Dunaway is unauthorized. Although Rohnert Park Patch was given consent by KTVU — Bob Swofford, managing editor of the Press Democrat, contacted us this week and notified us it was their photo and declined to give us permission to use it. We were unaware of this. 

An email sent May 19 to Patch from the news operations manager at KTVU stated: Here’s the photo—yours to use, as long as you credit KTVU. We bring this information forth in the interest of complete accuracy and transparency.