Crime & Safety
'Very Painful Trial' Begins for Prince Family of Gwinnett
Jury selection begins in the trial of Paul Bennett of Cumming in connection with the fatal Lake Lanier accident of 2012.
About a year and a half after the fatal Lake Lanier boating accident, the matter moves to a Hall County courtroom.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday (Nov. 4) in the trial of Paul Bennett, the Cumming man who faces various charges in connection with the June 2012 accident that killed Griffin and Jake Prince of Buford.
Charges include homicide by vessel, boating under the influence, and failure to render aid, according to the Gainesville (Ga.) Times.
According to authorities, a boat piloted by Bennett crashed into a pontoon boat piloted by the Prince brothers' father. Jake Prince, 9, was killed on impact. The body of Griffin Prince, 13, was found after a nine-day search.
The parents of Griffin and Jake Prince posted on Facebook:
Paul Bennett, the man who killed our children, was offered a deal by the District Attorney. They were hoping to spare our family and our dear friends further pain and suffering. Paul Bennett has rejected the deal and has decided instead to fight all the charges and force us to endure a trial. He still has the option to accept the deal at any time. We are praying that he will. If he won't, we are praying for the strength to make it through what will be a very painful trial.
According to the Times, the prosecutor offered Bennett a sentence of 30 years’ probation with eight years in prison. Bennett's attorney, Barry Zimmerman of Norcross, declined.
This boating accident was a factor in a new Georgia law that lowered the Boating Under Influence standard from 0.10 to 0.08, the same as for motor vehicles.
The Prince brothers' memorial service was held in July 2012 in Suwanee.
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