Press Telegram
LONG BEACH, CA — A 30-year-old Los Angeles man pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge that he killed a 61-year-old rabbi while driving drunk two years ago.
Willie Norton Jr., 30, entered his plea – considered the same as a guilty plea in criminal court – as jury selection was slated to begin in his trial Wednesday, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Hans Kohnlein.
After entering his plea Norton was promptly sentenced to 17 years in prison, said Kohnlein, who is in charge of the Accident Investigations Detail.
The victim, [Gedalia] Shaffer, was visiting from Brooklyn, New York, on March 7, 2007, when the fatal crash occurred.