S.S. woman pleads no contest to negligent homicide

S.S. woman pleads no contest to negligent homicide
Janice Peterson - Daily Herald
A Saratoga Springs woman charged in the accidental death of a 4-year-old boy entered a plea agreement Wednesday in which she will not be required to serve jail time.
Regina Tausinga’s misdemeanor charges, which include negligent homicide, not having insurance and permitting an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle, stem from an August accident in which her unlicensed teenage son struck and killed 4-year-old Cooper Mardesich.
Tausinga pleaded no contest to negligent homicide and guilty to permitting an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle, while the charge of not having insurance was dismissed. She was also sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and 185 hours of community service.
“I just want to apologize to the court, my family and friends, the Mardesich family, for the decisions I made that led up to this,” Tausinga said.
Tausinga told the court she now keeps two pictures of Cooper Mardesich in her home as a reminder to make good decisions and to be good people. The Mardesich family has given her a gift she can never repay - their forgiveness for her son. Every day, Tausinga said, she tries to earn their gift of forgiveness.
“We’ll be sorry forever,” she said.
The Mardesich family was in court to support Tausinga and was a part of the process, attorneys said. They spoke before Judge Lynn Davis, saying they are friends with the Tausinga family and do not wish to punish them for the accident.
“We don’t seek any kind of restitution,” said Ted Mardesich. “That’s really not necessary in our eyes.”
Judge Davis said he would reluctantly accept the motions from both sides to continue with sentencing Wednesday as well. Davis said he felt he had been left out of the loop, as he did not know the boy’s name, age or the circumstances in the case.
“I know nothing as it relates to the death of the small boy,” he said.
Davis also questioned the assertion that Tausinga had taken responsibility for the crime and should not serve jail time. A no contest plea, he said, was not the same as taking responsibility. However, prosecutor Guy Probert said Tausinga had pleaded guilty to the charge of allowing her son to drive the car, which was the catalyst in the event.
Defense attorney Stephen Frazier said Tausinga was not the one driving the car, and he believes the case could be defended well in court. However, he said his client feels horribly about the incident and wanted to resolve the case in order to help both families heal.
“It’s been difficult on both families, certainly the Mardesich family also,” he said.