Three Years, Supervised — Forever, Without Her

On July 1, 2025, at the District Court for Montgomery County – Traffic System, the driver of the car our daughter Amelia was riding in stood before the judge.

He pled guilty to Driving a Vehicle While Impaired by Alcohol.

The court sentenced him to three years of supervised probation. One week later, he filed a petition to reduce that sentence.

Three years. Supervised. Probation.

Not jail. Not even confinement.

Supervision—while continuing to live life, go places, and breathe freely.

I can’t stop thinking about that word: reduce.

He believes three years of supervised freedom is too much to commit to.

Oh, how I wish that were an option for Amelia—to simply have more time.

Three years. Three months. Three minutes. Anything.

Instead, she was sentenced to forever.

There is no petition to reduce the weight of that reality.

No supervision can monitor the ache that follows us every day.

Some choices are irreversible, and some consequences can’t be appealed.

All we can do now is speak her name, tell her story, and hope someone—anyone—thinks twice before driving after drinking.

Because three years supervised is still a life continued.

Ours is a life divided—before and after Amelia.