A packed courthouse on Monday was the scene for sentencing involving a two-year-old case. 48-year-old Robert Hodson was sentenced to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by Honorable Judge Brad Paisley in Christian County. Hodson, who was employed by State Capital Police was involved in a car accident on April 8th, 2021. Around 11 PM on Illinois Route 48 near East 1550 N Road, between Taylorville and Stonington, Hodson crossed the center line and hit 19-year-old Haley Anne Shoot, 20-year-old Zaydin Jon Dudra and Jade Thomas, formerly of Bulpitt, now residing in Lafayette, Indiana. Shoot and Dudra were both killed in the crash. Thomas had life-changing injuries.
Earlier in 2023, a plea deal had been reached with both parties agreeing that the max penalty would be 20 years and the least penalty would be probation for aggravated DUI causing accidental death. Hodson appeared on Monday, August 21st, in Christian County Court with a sentencing hearing set for 1:15 PM. Court deliberations went on for upwards of 90 minutes as both sides presented their final arguments and cases of aggravation and mitigation.
Special Prosecutor for the State of Illinois, Nicole Kroncke, along with Christian County States Attorney John McWard represented the State, while John Sharp represented Hodson. Impact statements were given by multiple people on the State’s side including Jessica Dudra, Christopher Shoot, and Christine Wells.
Dudra, Zaydin’s mom, spoke about how much of a protector he was, and she stated that Hodson had not shown any remorse during the entire process, calling him a known alcoholic. Christopher Shoot, brother of Haley, said that he has dealt with trauma since this incident occurred and how it has physically and mentally destroyed him and his family. Christine Wells, read a statement for Jade Thomas. In it, she said that Jade felt guilty to be alive and remembered checking both victims in the car knowing that they had passed away. She says that Jade was in a wheelchair following the accident and had to relearn to walk.
Impact statements were also read by supporters of Robert Hodson; including Theresa Gibson, Hodson’s older sister, and Taryn Gibson, Hodson’s daughter. Theresa Gibson said that she did not know Hodson to drink unless it was a social occasion and that this incident has killed him and he hasn’t been the same. Taryn Gibson asked for mercy on her dad.
An Illinois State Police Crash Investigator Jacob Miller, spoke at the sentencing. Miller lead the investigation and worked the scene including drone footage, renderings, and data from both cars’ black boxes. In this crash, he found that Hodson was going 88 mph at the time of impact while it is believed that Haley Shoot, who was driving the other vehicle hit the emergency brakes and when checked was going 30-35 MPH. Hodson declined to do a breathalyzer at the scene and when taken into custody his blood alcohol content was .353 and it was .299 at 1 AM. Sharp tried arguing multiple times that Haley and Jade had marijuana in their systems at the time of the crash. Sharp also argued that the headlights were not turned on at the time of the crash. There was a photo of the car in the tow lot where the light switch was in the off position. A private investigator for the defense continued the argument for the lights and spoke out concerning the accident itself.
A recess was taken, and after the recess, both sides gave closing arguments. In those arguments, Kroncke argued that the 20-year sentencing was necessary and that ten years per victim was the best they could do in the state of Illinois. She spoke about the ripple effect in the community and the impact that this incident had on all parties present. Sharp spoke for Hodson, saying that Hodson was not the sole cause of the accident. He says that Hodson was a law-abiding citizen who only had a few minor infractions previously and that he had been present for all court hearings, probation, and other settings. He brought up the Safe-T-Act, saying that Hodson had a low chance to commit another crime and that he argued that with Hodson being a former police officer he would need protections such as probation due to his previous status in law enforcement.
Judge Brad Paisley heard both arguments and then spoke. Judge Paisley reiterated that this sentencing needed to be a message to the community. He wanted to make sure that anyone who committed crimes such as an aggravated DUI or reckless behavior would understand that there is no place for that in Christian County. Paisley threw out any discussion concerning marijuana being a contributing factor. He threw out any discussion concerning extraordinary circumstances, and he threw out any discussion on the lights saying that at any time the lights could have been shut off. Judge Paisley noted that his biggest factors in sentencing were the blood alcohol level and the speed of Hodson’s vehicle. “Those kids should be alive,” Paisley noted.
Judge Paisley then went to sentencing. He said he wished he could issue justice and bring it back to that fateful day and hit a rewind button but he couldn’t. With that being said, Hodson was sentenced to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections to be served at 85%. He was issued a $2500 fine plus costs and fees of court. He was also sentenced to 18 months of mandatory supervised release or probation.
Judge Paisley finished his ruling and then made a statement to everyone who attended the hearing. He released everyone at separate times and issued warnings to both parties, informing them that Christian County Deputies were not afraid to arrest anyone who caused problems on their way out of the courthouse.
Hodson will begin serving his sentence immediately. He is eligible to be released in 2038.
