Lamberson lawyers hope to delay trial

By Patrick Markey

The Derry-born ambulance driver charged with killing three young Brooklyn children in an auto accident may not face jail time even if she is convicted during her trial, which is due to start this week.

Anne Lamberson is scheduled to appear in court on Friday for the beginning of her trial on reckless homicide charges, but prosecutors are not pushing for a jail sentence.

Deputy District Attorney Joseph Petrosino said a pre-trial plea offer had been made for Lamberson to accept charges of criminally negligent homicide, the lowest class felony, and probation. That offer will stand until the case goes to trial, Petrosino said.

"We are not insisting on jail at this moment," he said.

In making their recommendations for sentencing to the judge, prosecutors take into account the victim’s family and their needs. Although the children’s mother, Angela Igwe, has stated that she did not believe Lamberson should serve time, that may change if the case goes to trial, Petrosino said.

Lamberson’s attorney, Michael Dowd, said Tuesday that although the trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 24, he will push for a later start date. The defense team still has questions over the prosecutors’ expert-witness evidence on reconstruction of the crash, Dowd said.

Lamberson was arrested in October last year after the emergency vehicle she was driving slammed into Igwe’s car at a busy Brooklyn crossroads, killing three of Igwe’s children, aged 7, 5 and 2. She was later indicted on manslaughter charges.

Although Lamberson had been on an emergency call when she crossed into the intersection, prosecutors believe she drove recklessly enough to warrant the charges.

In preparation for a possible civil lawsuit, the Igwe family has already retained Peter Neufeld, the lawyer who helped defend O.J. Simpson and who successfully sued the Yonkers Police Department after several officers beat a group of Irish immigrants.