Gabriele Ballowe, the woman involved in a 2013 fatal hit and run, was released from jail on August 25th. Ballowe served approximately eight months of her one year sentence. Criminal defense attorney Barry Covert spoke to WGRZ about this reduced sentence. The video is below and the full story can be found on the WGRZ website.
Early release not uncommon
In December of 2016, Gabriele Ballowe was sentenced to a year in prison for Leaving the Scene of an Incident Without Reporting Resulting in Serious Physical Injury after a 2013 accident that resulted in the death of 52-year-old Barry Moss. According to WGRZ, Ballowe requested early release in March but was denied. She was, however, released without restrictions on August 25th after having served approximately 8 months of her sentence. Mr. Covert told WGRZ that this is not uncommon.
“When you get a one year county jail sentence, you typically serve eight months with good time served. You don’t have to serve the last four months,” he explained.
“I have never had a client that was not released after eight months,” Mr. Covert went on. “It would have been very unusual for her to have had to serve more than eight months incarceration with good time served.”
About Barry N. Covert
Mr. Covert is a senior partner in Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria’s Criminal Defense Trials and Appeals Practice Area. He is known for his aggressive representation of clients in the areas of New York State and federal criminal trials and appeals; driving while intoxicated; constitutional law, including First Amendment, civil rights actions, and federal False Claims Act; defending against allegations of scientific misconduct and fraud, research misconduct and fraud, plagiarism, and fabrication of evidence; and professional licensing defense. Mr. Covert frequently provides legal analysis for WGRZ and other media outlets.
