Officer: 'Alvino Won't Serve Jail Time'

Insights into the Carlee Wines hit-and-run reached an unlikely forum Thursday night: the Students for Sensible Drug Policy's screening of the film "Busted: A Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters."

The movie and ensuing discussion centered around citizen's rights regarding searches and seizures, as well as scrutinizing of proper arrest protocol.

However, as the event took on its question-and-answer format, the two officers present, Master Sgt. Linda Killarney and Officer Sandra Smith, shared details as well as personal predictions regarding the outcome of the Wines case.

Killarney asked for a show of hands to count the number of students who believed the accused Anthony Alvino would serve jail time. A wave of hands rose throughout the audience. Killarney, in a tone sympathetic for Wines' family and friends, responded that Alvino and girlfriend Michelle Hall, who was a passenger at the time of the accident, would likely not serve jail time.

Killarney cited their families' substantial incomes and hiring of lawyers with impressive reputations as the primary cause for such a reduction in legal punishment. According to Killarney, during the seizure of the Nissan Armada involved in the hit-and-run, six lawyers on behalf of the accused met police at the scene.

Killarney voiced her strong disagreement with such a potential outcome, calling it tragic. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that Alvino and Hall could avoid jail time completely. Killarney said realistically, because of the small chance of the case going to a jury trial, the accused would receive relatively minor punishments.

"I call it murder," Killarney said. "But the state of Connecticut calls it something else."

Killarney added that whatever case the state of New York currently has against the accused will also likely fall short.

Details from the night of the tragedy were also revealed. According to Smith, the incident was a pairing of two fatal mistakes.

Witnesses at the scene reported that Wines had not looked both ways before crossing, and that Alvino's proximity to the curb caused the collision, according to Smith.

Emotionally, Killarney said that had the occurrence gone a mere "one second" either way, Wines' life might have been saved.

UConn Director of Media Communications Karen Grava maintained that the university could not provide a strong position on Killarney and Smith's words at this time.

"We don't want to speculate on what might happen or could happen when it remains to be seen what will happen," Grava said.

Major Ronald Blicher, spokesperson for the UConn Police Department, could not be reached Thursday night for comment.