Jeffrey Cole Brooks was convicted of second-degree murder for the Sept. 24, 2016, crash at Avenue S and Sierra Highway that killed Daniel Eduardo Orellana, who was on his way home from work.
In a May 30 ruling, a three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s contention that jurors should not have seen two photographs of the 21-year-old victim at the crash scene and during an autopsy in light of videos the panel was shown of the crash scene and the victim’s vehicle in flames.
In their ruling, the appellate court justices found that the photographs were “unpleasant but not unduly gruesome for a murder case of this kind.”
“Further, the evidence of defendant’s extreme intoxication, his acknowledgment he was drunk and should not have been driving, his prior conviction for alcohol-related reckless driving, his court-ordered education, his friend’s warning and attempt to prevent him from driving, and the severity of the fatal collision forcefully established his guilt. There is no chance the two photographs at issue inflamed the jury and swayed it to convict,” the panel ruled.
The justices also turned down the defense’s claim that jurors should have heard about Brooks’ statement to a sheriff’s deputy about 25 minutes after arriving at a hospital that he “didn’t remember what he was doing” and that he “intended to make a phone call” to his mother, noting again that there was “no chance” of a more favorable verdict if jurors had heard that evidence.
The impact of the crash caused Orellana’s car to burst into flames and spin across the intersection, according to Deputy District Attorney Daniel Rochmes.
Brooks — who had taken a “party bus” to Los Angeles — had been warned by a friend that he was too drunk to drive, but got into the driver’s seat of his 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and left the Park and Ride lot on Avenue S in Palmdale, Rochmes said.
Authorities determined that he was driving no less than 88.9 miles per hour with a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.27 percent — more than three times the legal limit.
Brooks was on probation in San Diego County for alcohol-related reckless driving at the time of the crash and had attended court-ordered DUI education classes that warned about the dangers of driving under the influence, Rochmes said.
Brooks was sentenced last August to 15 years to life in state prison.
Previous related stories:
Man’s conviction upheld for deadly crash in Palmdale
Man convicted of murder for fatal DUI crash in Palmdale
Man charged with murder for fiery crash, victim’s family pleads for justice
Family mourns man killed in fiery Palmdale crash
1 dead, 1 arrested after fiery rear-end crash in Palmdale
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Natasha Mccormick says
Since when is it OK for a school to place hands upon your child as if they were the parents!!!?
Totally off subject , but I need to be heard for the harrassment & abuse , as well as hateful attitudes of grown adults demonstrating inappropriate behavior towards myself & my children between Yucca Elementary school Assistant Principal Mrs. Sommers , & almost threatening ways by the Palmdale school District Mr. Porter during my meeting today in his office re: Yucca Elementary school & their procedures they are following , & carrying out as STATE SCHOOL RULES , which playing along with it is the NEW School Deputy whom filed their lying words on this civil report made on me Aug.11,2017 . Lie, after threat, after HAVING a choice to STOP this ABUSE & BULLYING being done towards my family !!!!!? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !
THANKS for my ability to SPEAK ALOUD , where’s My JUSTICE.
UNHAPPY US CITIZEN &. DISAPPOINTED AMERICAN
Natasha McCormick
818-943-0134
Pedro says
Product of divorced Christian parents. Meredith and Jeff here is the fruit
Lilian says
Know Mr. Brooks will have ALOT of time to think about his stupid choices he was always driving drunk and didn’t care about it obviously he didn’t learn till he had it the hard way
AV resident says
Blow up the pictures into posters and hang them in his jail cell, the nerve of this idiot!
Jacko says
The loser ponies-up for a Mitsubishi Evolution and, presto-chango, he’s God. He is a highway star! And, when he puts the hammer down, the onus is on you to get out of his way. Or, else you die. Period. That’s that. The punks driving these AWD turbos, that’s their attitude…
Wendy GB says
May the love of Family, friends and above all our Almighty Heavenly Father give you comfort and strength. And peace as in the promise in Revelation 21:4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
Fiona says
Alcoholics never change why would they think Brooks would change ? He had already been warned about his wreckless driving habits he’s selfish and made a stupid choice drank and drived killed an innocent person. He should pay a long long sentence where he can’t hurt no-one innocent.
Maggie says
I am so surprised that this case is still trying to appeal any charges when this accident, I was there at the scene when it had just happened I was the one who recorded that video and not only I was there there was a woman with about 3 to 2 kids in her car that almost got hit with this impact as well this is something I am never going to forget how the car was in flames how the tires were popping . How that guys got off the car falling down of how drink he was! He was very drunk, I couldn’t belive that the car when so quick into flames! Me and my husband still talk about this till this day. It didn’t only affect the family and this guilty man, it affected us watching this grusome scene, and not being able to get near the car and help him. When the fire fighter got there the only thing they can do is just turn off the flames. And police arrested the responsible man… the impact was so hard that he was in the other side of the intersection … I hope he doesn’t get a shorter sentence. I think he deserve more because he was already warned about what could happen.
Tee says
I agree with Ashleigh!! I see this attitude a lot out here!! Racing up west ave N … down 60th west .. all around town like there isn’t such thing as speed limit or traffic law, ignoring lights … make him serve his time.. has no respect for human life!! Or anything for that matter
JurorWhoConvicted says
We were told 25 to life. 15 to life is not enough but for his actions and the life he took but I am glad his appeals have been denied. Those pictures did not sway any one of our decisions! Any “missing information or testimony for Mr. Brooks can be blamed on his poor judgement of a defense lawyer” who only cared about what charge level his client was facing. Mr. Brooks poor choices can never be taken back. He deserves his sentence… End of story!
Paola says
Thank you! Seeing those pictures where really hard for the family. We were all there that day. Daniel was such a great kid, he did not deserve that death, not that way. He is missed every day.
JurorWhoConvicted says
I pray your family can find some peace now knowing Daniel can rest easy with Mr. Brooks serving his time. And I know Mr. brooks family is grieving too, at least they can still see their son alive. Tragedy for everyone all around. Just Desserts has taken place…
J says
Hope he has to stay there for the rest of his life. What an idiot, even after the court-ordered DUI education classes, he still drove drunk. Now he will have to pay the price. It won’t be enough for the poor family left behind who will never see their loved one again. Hope he thinks about what he has done every day for the rest of his worthless life!
Op says
Ashleigh, get some brain cells woman! What does the type of car have anything to do with this tragic incident. You’re so stupid! You’re probably one of those going way below the speed limit, having a trail of cars behind, trying to get around you on the canyon road commute to work …
Grumpy says
Mr Brooks should be forced to look at those pictures 3 times a day before meals for the remainder of his life,just sayin’.
Tim Scott says
Creative, and appropriate.
A says
Wow your comment is right on point. That should have been part of the plea bargain. So very sorry for this innocent life lost.
Ashleigh says
… running us off the road on our commute home, we contend with these guys driving their turbocharged AWD sedans. Garden variety millennial punks, mile-wide sense of self-entitlement, baseball caps turned backward in their STIs, WRXs and EVOs with the f/\rt-can exhausts, social responsibility is not high on their list –
Op says
Lame statement Ashleigh! Nothing to do with this Tragic incident!
Op says
Ashleigh, you’re probably one of those lame people that drives way below the speed limit, leaving a trail of cars trying to pass you, on your cummute to work in canyon roads. Is that why you take offense to these cars?
Rosa says
… I’m sorry, but she is absolutely right. It’s hard imagining any car cohort could ever be much worse than the Infiniti/Lexus crowd. It is not for no good reason those cars are more expensive to insure, than Porsches and Corvettes. No gentle way of putting this, of all enthusiasts in SoCal car culture, by a significant margin the worst of the worst are, the WRX/EVO/STi/Focus-RS glee club. No compunction whatsoever, these punks are running fellow commuters right off the road –