Boater sues to get out of jail for fatal accident

By Marcy Williams
A boater sues the Hall County sheriff to get out of jail after a fatal accident on Lake Lanier.

Paul Bennett is serving 2 1/2 years behind bars for the 2012 crash on the lake. Two brothers from Buford, Jake and Griffin Prince, were killed.

Bennett was acquitted of the most serious counts of homicide by vessel, but convicted of boating under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel.

In his civil suit, he claims he should be out of jail by now with time off for good behavior. He thought he'd be released last month, but the Hall County sheriff and district attorney now say good behavior credits don't apply.

A spokeswoman for Sheriff Gerald Couch explains it's because his case involves loss of life.

Bennett's attorney describes him as an exemplary inmate. The suit seeks to compel the sheriff to honor the good behavior allowance and release him from jail.

http://www.wsbradio.com/news/news/bo...ccident/nkPNG/

Hard to believe he only received 2 1/2 years and no murder conviction. I'm gonna have to back and look at some history to see why.....

Keep Bennett behind bars, urges mother of victims in fatal boat accident

Convicted man's lawyer seeks early release date from Hall jail
By Nick Watson
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com

The mother of two boys killed in a 2012 boat wreck spoke out Friday on the petition of the Forsyth County man convicted in the incident to be released from the Hall County Jail.

Paul J. Bennett’s fishing boat collided with a pontoon boat carrying 13 people on June 18, 2012. Jake, 9 and Griffin Prince, 13, were killed.

The boys’ mother Tara Prince wrote a lengthy post on social media regarding Bennett’s recent petition for release.

“These were happy, healthy, loving children who deserved to live their lives,” Tara Prince wrote on Facebook. “There are two giant gaping holes on this earth and in the lives of countless people that they used to fill.”

Bennett was convicted in 2013 on charges of operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol and reckless operation of a vessel. He was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

On Feb. 4, Bennett filed a petition for writ of mandamus for his release, claiming his good behavior allowances have not been counted. His attorney, Barry Zimmerman, claims Bennett is receiving different treatment than other inmates convicted on similar misdemeanor charges, adding Bennett confirmed an early release date with jail officers.

Couch said in a statement Bennett has been treated fairly at the Hall County Jail.

“Now there will be another hearing to determine when he will be released,” Tara Prince wrote on Facebook. “We are faced with the agonizing choice of trying to decide if it’s worth it to face him again to ask the judge to make him finish his sentence.”

The hearing is scheduled for March 13 in Hall County Superior Court.

Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deputy Nicole Bailes said the loss of life in the incident made Bennett ineligible for a good behavior credit.

Bennett was acquitted on eight counts of homicide by vessel.

“The jury had eight chances to find him guilty of having killed those boys, and the jury acquitted him on every case, every count,” Zimmerman said.

A petition on Change.org entitled “Keep Paul Bennett behind bars!” had nearly 2,500 signatures as of 6 p.m. Friday. It began two days ago.

Zimmerman responded to the family and its supporters on their views of his client.

“All 12 (jurors) said that he didn’t cause the death of their sons,” Zimmerman said. “They don’t believe that. They don’t want to believe that, and I don’t blame them for not wanting to believe that because they lost their two little, precious boys. But that’s what the jury said.”