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Lawyer arrested again
D.A. files charges following months-long investigation
| Thursday, Apr 5 2007 10:50 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Apr 5 2007 11:01 PM
A Southland lawyer with a troubled legal history was arrested for the second time Thursday in connection with a November Kern River Canyon car wreck that sent a Kern County sheriff's deputy plummeting to his death.
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Several bouquets of flowers and a balloon that says "Joey you will be missed" on it blows in the wind as traffic goes by in both directions along Highway 178 east of Bakersfield where Kern County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Hudnall was killed by an oncoming vehicle.
Deputy Joe Hudnall
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Daniel Patrick Willsey, 46, was in Kern County Jail Thursday night awaiting booking. He was released after a November arrest for the same crime for lack of evidence.
Thursday, Willsey was arrested at his Pasadena home by the California Highway Patrol and charged by the Kern County District Attorney's office with killing the deputy on Highway 178 the evening of Nov. 14.
Willsey had methamphetamine in his system and a loaded, sawed-off shotgun in his car the night of the crash, according to the D.A.'s office.
Friends of the slain deputy, Joe Hudnall, have anxiously awaited word of whether someone would be held accountable for the wreck.
"I'm very glad to see it's finally reached this point," Sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Hunt, Hudnall's supervisor, said Thursday afternoon.
Willsey was charged with:
* vehicular homicide with gross negligence while driving under the influence,
* driving under the influence of methamphetamine and causing great bodily injury,
* possessing and transporting meth while armed with a loaded firearm,
* being under the influence of meth while armed
* and various other firearm offenses, according to court papers filed by the District Attorney's office.
Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Wood, the department's public information officer, said the department appreciates the work done by the CHP and the District Attorney's office regarding the crash.
"At this point, we're content to let the case go through the judicial process," Wood said.
Josh Hudnall, the deputy's son, declined comment.
The crash
Deputy Hudnall was killed when a BMW driven by Willsey crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into the deputy's patrol vehicle, an investigation revealed.
Hudnall was transporting a prisoner from Kernville on Highway 178 when his SUV fell down a steep embankment, overturning at least once. The deputy, whom investigators determined was not wearing a seat belt, suffered fatal head injuries.
Inmate Grace Brown underwent surgery to reset her nose and to close up gashes on her face. She also suffered injuries to her legs and arms. Her father, Joseph Brown, said Grace Brown wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
Willsey was also seriously injured and spent more than a week in the hospital.
Willsey was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder -- with the premise that he may have had illegal levels of drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash -- but he was released in late November for lack of evidence.
The investigation
The CHP's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team has been working since the crash to reconstruct the events of that night.
At the beginning of the process, CHP Sgt. Chris Boudreaux said his team was attempting to establish Willsey's speed at the time of the crash. Investigators use physics and other accident reconstruction techniques to understand what happens in vehicle crashes.
It is "critical that we get every entry and exit angle for this collision correct," Boudreaux said in February. "We want to make sure we get this right. We know it's going to be a very important, high-profile case."
Supervising Deputy District Attorney Michael Yraceburn said it took more than four months to press charges because they needed to do an extensive investigation into the reconstruction, plus they had to reinterview witnesses.
Troubled history
Willsey has had substance abuse problems and brushes with the law in the past.
In 1995, he was convicted in Los Angeles County of driving without a license and without registration. A charge of not having lights in good working order was dropped.
Charges of driving without a license and driving without lighting equipment in working order were dismissed in 1996.
He was convicted of reckless driving in 1997. A charge of driving under the influence was dropped.
The conviction resulted in Willsey being ordered by the California State Bar Association to not drink and to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The association governs attorneys in California.
Willsey failed to provide proof that he attended AA meetings and completed other requirements, and he was again disciplined in 1999.
That year proved to be a troublesome one for Willsey. He was convicted of driving without his license in his possession, but charges of carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a loaded firearm and not having proof of insurance were dismissed.
In October 2000, he was suspended for failing to pass the professional responsibilities exam. He was allowed to practice law again in January 2001, according to the association.