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Largo Man Gets 12 Years For Crash That Killed Wife

News Channel 8 photo by KATY HENNIG

Joseph Schofield of Largo was sentenced today in the Nov. 17, 2007, vehicular homicide of his wife, Angela Jo.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2009

Updated: 01/05/2009 06:47 pm

CLEARWATER - In the hope of reducing a hefty prison sentence, Joseph Schofield testified in court today he was taking responsibility for a 2007 car wreck that took the life of his wife, who was a passenger in his car.

But upon cross-examination, the sometime air conditioning technician denied he ran a red light before his Honda Prelude collided with a pickup truck, even though police maintained he did.

He told one police officer he was driving only 45 mph, even though an accident reconstruction put the speed of the Prelude at up to 93 mph. And, he testified this afternoon it was the truck that struck his car, not the other way around.

Schofield's level of remorse was at issue because his defense attorney was trying to persuade Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Cynthia J. Newton to give the Largo man less prison time.

Newton conceded the defense attorney, Michael Boyle, established Schofield's remorse. She also conceded Boyle established the wreck was an isolated incident, and that Schofield didn't plan on the death of his wife when he was barreling down 49th Street at about 8 a.m.

But Newton didn't have to accept Boyle's legal handiwork as a reason to give Schofield, 29, less than the 9.4 years Schofield could have received under sentencing guidelines for the wreck that killed his wife, Angela Jo Schofield, 24.

And she didn't.

Instead, she sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

For Angela Jo Schofield's parents, there was no clean-cut closure.

"Twelve years – never satisfied that someone has to go to jail and it's unfortunate that it was the death of our daughter that put him here," said Angela Jo Schofield's father, Joe James.

Joseph Schofield's mother, Lena Abraham, declined comment. Boyle, who had argued for a 4-year sentence, also declined comment.

"This is a terrible tragedy," Newton said before meting out the sentence. "There is no way to make the families of Angela whole."

The couple have two small children – one 5, the other almost 2 – who are in the custody of Joseph Schofield's brother, Christopher.

Judge Newton noted in court Schofield was charged the night before the wreck with possession of cocaine.

She also noted he had an array of traffic citations before the wreck, including eight previous speeding tickets. And, she noted, he had told his 5-year-old daughter during an audio-taped video visit at the jail that he still wouldn't wear a seat belt, a remark that prompted the girl to tell her grandmother that she would make her father wear one.

Judge Newton also noted that in a different jail audiotape, Joseph Schofield referred to his wife callously as a "dead body" while discussing the legal definitions underscoring his potential sentence under guidelines.

Schofield had pleaded guilty last year to a charge of vehicular homicide and possession of cocaine. While Newton's 12 year sentence was more than the term suggested by guidelines, it was three years less than the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office was seeking.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 415-2336. WFLA Reporter Peter Bernard contributed to this report.

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