Celebrity Justice
Lane Garrison Sentenced to Prison

A judge has sentenced "Prison Break" star Lane Garrison to a total of forty months -- nearly four years -- in state prison for the drunk driving crash that caused the death of 17-year-old Vahagn Setian.


As he sentenced him, Judge Elden Fox told Lane he thought he was a human being who made a very bad mistake -- and that he committed a crime and devastated three families.


Fox told Garrison, "I think you are truly remorseful," but sentenced him to prison because "the public needs to know crimes like this need to be punished and, unfortunately, you have to be the messenger." The sentence was based on Garrison's lack of prior criminal history and that he admitted responsibility, pleaded guilty right away and has offered the families financial assistance.

Before sentencing, a highly emotional Garrison told the victims' families he was "genuinely remorseful" and "sickened" by his behavior that night.

Garrison he will get credit for the 91 days he has already served. That, combined with California's Work Time/Good Time early release program, means he will likely be in state prison for about 20 months.

He must also pay close to $300,000 to the Setian family and to the two girls who were in the car.

Lane was quiet after the sentence was handed down and was taken away in handcuffs.

Reader Comments

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46. If there was underage drinking at that party, then IMO, those minors should have been charged for underage drinking.

The kid that was killed was seventeen years old. He may have been a minor, but just barely a minor and IMO he should have known better just as Garrison should have known better.

I won't comment on Garrison's sentence.

IMO, there are no innocent victims here. None. I don't believe he owes those victims a penny. Sure, put him in jail, but like I said, IMO there are no innocent victims here.

They maybe minors, but that doesn't mean they don't know right from wrong and that they shouldn't have sown more common sense.


Posted at 2:31PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Noodles

47.

To # 4 Delia

That was 40 months, not "less than 1 month for each".

That's nearly 4 years.

Posted at 2:04PM on Oct 31st 2007 by OCD

48. Why all the stupid comments about remorse=reduced/eliminated sentense? Don't you ever watch shows lilk COPS or To Catch a Predator? People are always saying I AM SORRY and it means NOTHING. It is a sorry for being caught, not a sorry for their behavior. I hope he has FUN IN THE SHOWER!!!!!!

Posted at 2:49PM on Oct 31st 2007 by stef

49. You feel bad for him with 40 months?????? WHAT IF HE KILLED YOUR DAUGHTER OR WIFE?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And paying only $300K ????? He got off E A S Y !!!!!!!! The sentance is a joke. Sorry or not, like all of us, he was exposed to the warnings and dangers of DUI EVERY day! He lived the "It won't happen to me" lifestyle (like a careless teenager... and guess what? IT DID! Forget Lindsay and Paris and Britney. They haven't killed anyone (yet) and that is the differnece here. This guy did! The judge was way to easy. If it had been my daughter, I would be going after blood, wheter is a celeb or not!!!!! Those of you siding with him are truly sickening. Next up ... Brandi ... Are we gonna feel bad for her too????

Posted at 2:04PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Ed

50. I would like to stand before the parents of these teens and ask them why they were not being a responsible parent. There is no way in he!! my child would 1) be at a party where alcohol was being served, 2) would be running with a wild crown, 3) would have been drilled to not get in a car with strangers or someone who is driving and was drunk/on drugs (believe you me, when I set a rule, my daughter listens cause she knows the consequences for breaking the rules is not pleasant).

Boggles the mind that parents allow their kids such behavior or are so out of touch with what their child is doing they haven't a clue what is going on in their lives.

This is what our society has come to. And for all you who will come down hard on me, you obviously think what these teens did is the norm - well, it may well be. But that does not make it right.

Posted at 2:04PM on Oct 31st 2007 by sanityrules

51. Is he also being charged with using cocaine? Providing alcohol and cocaine to minors? Reckless endangerment? Contributing to the Delinquincy of a minor (times 3)? He's getting off seriously easy for NOT being charged with the litany of other offenses he'd be charged with if he lived in my state.

Posted at 8:07PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Daniella

52. A DUI homicide, that's what we're talking about here. The MINIMUM sentence should be 10 years (TEN) withOUT possibility of parole before the 10 years has been served. Unfortunately, once this bozo is let out, he'll be welcomed back with open arms. You can count on interviews with them all: ET, Extra, E!News, Access Hollywood... each host will be gushing - "its so good to have you back, we wish you all the best." And his half-assed career will suddenly have street cred. He'll end up on a new show for FX or SPIKE, for a year or so before he's back in the news for yet another DUI ! MAJOR LOOSER!!!!

Posted at 2:18PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Celebwatch

53. And props to the people who circulated that petition asking for him to get the maximum sentence!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 2:08PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Emily

54.

To #40 Sanityrules:

What makes you think that their parents didn't tell them not to drink, not to drive, not to get in the car with someone who had?

Kids that age don't listen!

I'll bet you can't find one responsible parent who hasn't told their children that. And I'll bet (if we all would be honest) that there are more than a few of us right here still walking around that DID do what they told us not to, also.

We're still walking around, but it's not because we were smarter than Lane Garrison or those kids.

It's because we were lucky. That's it.

Posted at 2:10PM on Oct 31st 2007 by OCD

55. #44 ... i agree with #43 ... it will be a major career explosion for him if he stays on track in jail. Hollywood will welcome their own back with open arms and give him a chance to start over, a chance he took from the girl he killed and her family.

Posted at 2:15PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Ed

56. Not enough!!!!

Posted at 2:13PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Susan

57. ... Has the world gone mad? Seriously. I don't mean to malign the names of the victims, but let's think for a second here.

These were not young children.

These were teenagers in high school who were drinking ILLEGALLY at a party. The kid who died? He was 17, nearly OUT of high school. NEARLY an adult.

Now, I don't know about any of you, but at that age, I was WELL aware of things going on around me. I went out and partied, yeah, but I also knew, impaired or not, that getting in a car with a drunk dude I don't know behind the wheel is a BAD IDEA. I'm not trying to put the blame of this tragic ACCIDENT on them, but Lane Garrison, adult or not, is not ENTIRELY to blame here. Yeah, he should have known better. Yeah, he deserves to serve the time he was sentenced. But he's not the only one to blame. The dead seventeen year old is just as much to blame for his fate as Garrison is, and the two girls who were injured are just as much to blame for theirs. Pretending otherwise is ridiculous and people who are saying that he didn't get ENOUGH time need a serious reality check. The sentence is fair. Here's to hoping it's easy time for him. He deserves it for standing up and admitting his mistakes and taking his punishment like a man and not a spoiled little Hollywood starlet.

Posted at 2:51PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Stace

58. Sanity rules...What an anal hun you are. OCD is right. I'm a parent, and I keep track of my kid's doings, yet I know there are things in life I can't control. This punk is responsible for a death...quit blaming the victims, I'm sure their families have suffered enough with "what if's" Life is not black and white. This sentence is entirely too short!

Posted at 2:15PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Liz

59. What a joke. He KILLED a minor, and hurt three others and thats all he gets? He should have gotten a harsher sentence.

Posted at 4:33PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Cleonyc

60. A celebrity actually being held accountable? I am truly shocked. He must not have paid the judge enough cash.

Posted at 2:19PM on Oct 31st 2007 by Ooba Gooba

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