Judge denies shorter sentence in fatal nail-polish accident case
A woman convicted of killing a motorcyclist while painting her fingernails as she drove lost a bid Thursday to have the last four months of her jail sentenced dropped.
Lora Hunt, 50, acted as her own attorney when she appeared before Lake County Circuit Judge Fred Foreman and asked to be released from her jail sentence immediately.
Hunt argued she had learned her lesson.
“I understand that my selfish and careless actions that day caused incredible damage to two families,” she said. “I am acutely aware that my actions have caused great pain and sorrow.”
In July of last year, Hunt was ordered to spend 18 months behind bars when she is not working or traveling to and from her job in Morris, Ill. She had been convicted two months earlier of reckless homicide in the death of Anita Zaffke, 56, of Lake Zurich, who was sitting on a motorcycle at a red light at Old McHenry Road and Route 12.
Prosecutors proved Hunt was polishing her nails as she approached the intersection at 50 mph and never slowed before her car plowed into Zaffke in May 2009.
Hunt said she had completed the 240 hours of public service that was also part of her sentence and had fully paid the $15,429 restitution she was ordered to make.
Assistant State's Attorney Michael Mermel objected to any modification of Hunt's sentence, saying Hunt is released from the jail each day for an 8-hour shift at work and has a 7-hour daily travel allowance.
“She is behind bars less than 10 hours a day; she has hardly done any time at all,” Mermel said. “She is not worthy or deserving of having any time shaved off her sentence.”
Hunt said her case opened the eyes of many to the dangers of distracted driving, but she was hardly the only person to have made that mistake.
“So many people on the streets today are doing hideous acts in their cars,” Hunt told Foreman. “The only difference between me and them is that they haven't killed someone.”
Foreman reminded Hunt that she faced up to five years in prison after her conviction, and said he believed the 18-month periodic jail sentence was the appropriate term for her to serve.
He did grant Hunt the right to have 12-hour passes to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family, but rejected Hunt's request for a similar pass on New Year's Day.
Greg Zaffke Jr., who has criticized the amount of time Hunt is free from jail in the past, said Thursday he was thankful that Foreman let her original sentence stand.
“I think her comment about other distracted drivers tells you a lot about her character,” Anita Zaffke's son said. “While it is true that there are distracted drivers, if they do kill someone they should expect to be held fully accountable.”
Hunt is scheduled to be released from jail Jan. 22.