SNOW HILL — A Waldorf, Md. Man, found guilty in January of homicide while driving impaired, was sentenced to 10 years with all but six suspended last week, or essentially double the recommendation in the sentencing guidelines.
On Jan. 4, a Worcester County jury found Stanley Faison, 51, of Waldorf, guilty of homicide while driving under the influence for the death of J.R. Ednie, 23, of Manassas, Va. in Ocean City last May and a pre-sentence investigation was ordered. Because of prior convictions, interim Worcester County State’s Attorney William McDermott sought enhanced penalties for Faison.
Back in court last Friday, Faison was sentenced to 10 years with all but six years suspended. The sentencing guidelines as calculated by the Maryland Sentencing Commission indicated a recommendation of six months to three years based on the gravity of the offense and Faison’s prior history. Faison was a subsequent offender, having been found guilty of DUI in North Carolina in 2011 and then again in Minnesota just 27 days before the fatal incident in Ocean City in May.
The maximum penalty for homicide while driving under the influence is five years in prison. McDermott called the sentencing guidelines “abhorrent” for a three-time offender who killed someone while driving while impaired and asked Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Brian Shockley to sentence Faison above the guidelines, which is a fairy rare occurrence.
Due to the state’s notice of intent to seek enhanced penalties filed last October, Faison faced a maximum penalty of 10 years and Shockley concurred last Friday, sentencing him to 10 years with all but six years suspended after listening to the victim’s family members and other testimony last Friday. He will also be on supervised probation for three years upon his release.
“Nothing we do can ever bring J.R. back, but sentencing Mr. Faison above the guidelines, who appallingly was found guilty of his second DUI only 27 days prior might deter future drunk drivers from killing people in Worcester County,” said McDermott.
Around 2:25 a.m. on May 21, Ocean City Police and EMS responded to a reported pedestrian-vehicle collision at 45th Street and Coastal Highway. The investigation revealed Ednie was attempting to cross Coastal Highway from west to east when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle traveling northbound driven by Faison. According to police reports, Ednie was not using a crosswalk at the time of the collision.
Lifesaving efforts were initiated by bystanders at the scene and continued by Ocean City Police and EMS. The victim was then transported to Atlantic General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Faison was arrested and charged initially with driving under the influence and multiple traffic-related charges. He was indicted by the grand jury about a month later.
In January, the jury returned with guilty verdicts on all counts including negligent homicide by motor vehicle, homicide by motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, negligent driving, reckless driving, driving while impaired and driving under the influence after deliberating for five hours.
Stanley Faison
Testimony elicited at trial from on-scene witnesses and police officers revealed Faison’s vehicle “came out of nowhere” and struck Ednie in the middle lane, sending his body over 150 feet from the point of impact. During closing arguments, McDermott had a bailiff hold one end of a tape measure and walked out of the courtroom to the furthest wall and told the jury that distance was only 50 feet and they would need to multiply the distance by three to really see the incredible force by which the victim was struck.
At trial, testimony from the officers evidenced that Mr. Faison had been drinking as he had “blood shot glassy eyes, slurred and mumbled speech, and the strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath and person”. He was subsequently arrested and was required to provide a breath sample which yielded a breath-alcohol content of .12, or well over the legal limit of .08 in Maryland. A search warrant of Mr. Faison’s vehicle was performed after the crash, revealing a large blue cooler behind the driver’s seat which contained multiple types of alcoholic beverages.
Evidence presented at trial revealed just 27 days prior to the fatal collision in Ocean City, Faison had been found guilty of driving under the influence in Minnesota. Prior to that, Faison had been convicted in 2011 of driving while impaired in North Carolina.
McDermott pointed to Worcester County’s state-leading DUI conviction rates following Faison’s sentencing late last week.
“There’s a reason why, for the four of the last five years, Worcester County has had the conviction rate of any county in the state for driving under the influence,” he said. “Between our law enforcement officers who put together solid cases to our prosecutors who take every case seriously, if you drive drunk and kill someone, be prepared for prison.
After sentencing, the Ednie family thanked Shockley, McDermott, Detective Diane Karsnitz and all of the men and women of law enforcement who worked hard to bring justice for J.R.
